


Love Only Knows

by whattheDickens



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Drama, F/M, Gen, Romance, period drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-01
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-01-10 18:17:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 54,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whattheDickens/pseuds/whattheDickens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Feliciano, a servant to a wealthy landowner, only wishes for a life of ease and no work. Things change, however, when he meets a young lady with a kind heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Servant's Life

**Author's Note:**

> Love only knows if we’ll give into fear and choose life undercover.  
> She said ‘Love only knows if it’s special enough that we’ll choose one another.  
> ‘Oh, Love only knows how your arms pull me in like the tide pulls me under.’  
>  She said ‘Love only knows just how long we can run before we lose each other.’  
> ‘And we need each other…’

            He could remember the first time he saw her. It was one of those moments where he probably should have been doing something else, but he chose to slack off instead. Ah, but he never had loved his quality of laziness as much as he had at that moment. Seeing her there, with the moon highlighting her soft features was an image that he would never forget. There would be many images and scenarios that he would remember fondly concerning this woman, but the first time he laid eyes on her… Now that was a moment that would forever be frozen in time.

            It had all started - this little story concerning this little woman - a few weeks earlier, when Feliciano Vargas was once again bemoaning his fate as an indentured servant who had to get up at ungodly hours of the morning to begin the daily grind of housework. Up in his room in the servants’ quarters, he could hear the sound of birds chirping just beyond his open window. They were the signal that told him it was time to get up. Of course, that didn’t mean that he actually got up.

            He moaned and covered his head with his pillow instead. “Not yet. Five more minutes…” he pleaded.

            A sharp knocking on his door sent his head jerking up and the pillow tumbling off of his bed.

            “Feli! Come on, it’s time to get up! It’s almost half-past five!”

            The voice of his fellow employee and good friend Elizaveta Hedervary was never as unwelcome to him as it was now.

            “Just a couple more minutes…” he called feebly.

            “No more minutes! Look, I have a hot breakfast downstairs just waiting for you.” Her voice became sweet and beckoning. “You don’t want a good meal to go cold do you? I’ll have to feed it to the hogs!”

            Feliciano frowned at his door. “We don’t even _have_ hogs...” he muttered.

            At that moment his stomach gurgled. Well, if there was one thing he cared about more than sleep, it was food. He sat up and stretched.

            “I’ll be out in a minute!” he answered.

            He heard the young woman behind his door chuckle. “I’ll hold you to that,” she said.

            She had no cause to worry, though, for in a span of about four minutes, he was out of his room dressed and groggily rubbing his eyes. Elizaveta was waiting for him in the hallway.

            “Good morning, Feli!” she chirped.

            “Oh, good morning,” he said kindly, albeit still sleepily. He ran a hand through his hair and scratched his head a few times before stretching once more.

            “I don’t like getting up early,” he whined.

            He felt his friend pat his shoulder sympathetically. “I know, dear, but think of it this way. The earlier we get up, the earlier in the day we get chores done!”

            He sighed. “True, but sometimes I don’t think I would mind working later in the day if that meant I would get to sleep longer!”

            The two walked down the stairs and headed into the mansion’s grand kitchen: Feliciano’s favorite place in the house. It was wide, open, and always was filled with the most amazing aromas. And just as she said, there was a plate of delicious food waiting for Feliciano to gobble up. As he ate, Elizaveta pulled out the necessary cleaning tools: broom, mop, bucket and some rags.

            He sighed. “What’s on the list today?”

            “Oh, the usual,” she shrugged. “No real hard work this time.”

            “Good!” he said between mouthfuls. “I hate beating rugs. I’m glad we don’t have to do that today.”

            “So, what do you want to start with: dusting, cleaning floors, or the weekly laundry?”

            “Dusting, if you please!” he exclaimed. That took the least amount of work. It was tedious, but at least he didn’t have to bend down all day or blister his hands.

            Elizaveta chuckled. “I had a feeling you’d pick that. Very well.” She handed him a rag and he handed her his plate. “You had better start in the parlor.”

            “ _Si, signora!”_

            He bounded out of the kitchen, through the dining room, into the entrance hall, and had to pause a moment. Although he had been living and working in the Edelstein family manor for a good amount of years, he still got lost some of the time.

            _Mannaggia! I cannot remember… I wish I had that layout paper Eliza made for me… Let’s see… First floor… dining room… sun room… garden room… ballroom… Ah! It’s on the second floor!_

            He headed up to the second floor and opened the ornate double doors that lead into the parlor. With a huge sigh, he pulled back the curtains and sunlight flooded the room. The room became bright and pretty, with golds, creams and other soft colors catching the young man’s eye. But something else caught his eye as well: the billions of dust particles that littered the air. He would have to do quite a bit of dusting, indeed.

            First were the windows, followed by the mantelpiece and the porcelain decorations on it. He figured he would have to dust the paintings on the wall as well. With a few grunts, he pushed one of the wooden chairs over to the wall where a lovely painting of the Edelstein estate was hanging. Feliciano stood on his tiptoes and stretched to the utmost of his abilities to wipe off the dust that may have gathered on the frame. He also tackled the vividly-painted harpsichord that sat in the middle of the room amidst the furniture. Fortunately, it was used so often that hardly any dusting was required. After making sure that the fireplace wasn’t too filthy, he set a fire to make the room warm and snug. And with that, he now felt secure in moving to the next room.

            _I wish I could just sit and relax in here, though,_ he mused. It really was a pleasant room to be in. Whenever the Edelsteins had company, they all usually socialized in this room, unless Mr. Edelstein wanted to play a piece of music for them in the ballroom. Feliciano many times had wished he could sit in with the people in both the parlor and the ballroom, if just to hear the various pieces of music they would play. He dearly loved music, almost as much as food and sleep.

            After a minute or two of admiring the room, Feliciano turned to leave just as a lady was entering it. Immediately, he bowed his head.

            “Good morning, Miss Edelstein!” he exclaimed.

            This young woman smiled and folded her hands in front of her. “Well, good morning to you as well, Feliciano. I see you’ve tidied up the room for today.”

            He beamed his contagious smile and replied in the affirmative.

            “Ah, well, do not let me stand in your way.” The lady stepped away from the entrance and Feliciano bowed his head in her direction once more before exiting.

            _Ah, Miss Edelstein is such a pretty young lady! She has such lovely, long hair and her voice is so soft and musical! If I was only rich and noble like her brother, I would definitely ask to court her!_

He smiled stupidly to himself, thinking about pretty ladies and the various ways he would court them if only he were rich throughout the rest of the day as he went about his duties. After he had finished cleaning the parlor, he cleaned the study, followed by the downstairs dining room, garden room, sun room and finally the ballroom. By the time he was standing inside the ballroom, it was practically lunch time and his shoulders sagged.

            “So much work…” he groaned. He really didn’t want to clean this massive room by himself. Usually he and Elizaveta did the cleaning together when it came to this room. His stomach gurgled and he sighed. He was about to go running into the kitchen to grab some food and maybe hide for a little while in the cupboard to take a nap when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

            “Ah!” he yelped, flinching.

            “Oh! Sorry, Feli!”

            He wilted a little at the sight of Elizaveta. “You … startled me…” he breathed.

            “I’m sorry, dear. I just came to tell you that lunch is ready. I figured you’d be near starving by now.” She grinned.

            He stomach gurgled again. “I sure am!” he exclaimed.

            She nodded. “Well, come on then. Mr. Roderich and Miss Anneliese have finished their lunch and are taking tea out on the veranda. I think we’ll be free for a little while to eat.” 

            Elated, the young man bounded after Elizaveta, followed her into the kitchen, and was met with the glorious sight of a decent lunch spread out on the kitchen table. Feliciano became quite excited. Elizaveta was Hungarian, and thus had introduced plenty of delicious Hungarian dishes into the house, all of which Feliciano quite enjoyed. Granted, he didn’t think they could ever be as good as his own Italian recipes, but he enjoyed them nevertheless. And Elizaveta was a pretty good cook.

            Feliciano was indulging in some delicious Hungarian _palacsinta_ when the back door that lead out to the stables burst open and a man entered the kitchen. He was quite tall, with dark hair pulled away from his face and clothed in a dirty pair of boots, some trousers and a wrinkled shirt.

            “Good afternoon, you two!” he exclaimed. “Is lunch ready, Eliza? I’m famished!” He spotted the display of food on the kitchen table. “Aw, yes! _Palacsinta!”_  

            But before he was able to get to the table, Elizaveta dodged in front of him wielding a pan.

            “Dániel, you had better not track those muddy boots into my kitchen, or so help me, I will lay you flat!”

            “All right, all right, Eliza! Calm down! I’m taking them off. See?”

            The fellow made a big show of taking off his muddy work boots and laying them outside the kitchen door so that Elizaveta wouldn’t clock him over the head with the big, metal pan. Once the coast was clear for him, he strode over to the table and ruffled Feliciano’s hair.

            “How are ya, kid?” he said with a bright smile.

            “Oh, I’m doing all right,” the younger man said between mouthfuls, “though I was scared for a moment. I thought we’d have to come up with some excuse about why you would be lying upstairs in bed again!”

            Dániel winced. “Luckily that’s not gonna happen again, eh? My sister is vicious, though, isn’t she? Anything could make her snap!” He snapped his fingers.

            “Dániel, _darling_ brother of mine,” Elizaveta said in a sweet, but creepy voice, “just _eat your food.”_

            “Yes, ma’am!” He said, giving Feliciano a scared look. Feliciano tried to conceal his amusement, noticing a warning look on Elizaveta’s face.

            “Oh, by the way,” Elizaveta spoke up after a couple minutes of quiet chewing. “Could one or both of you go into town to purchase groceries? We’re running low on some things and I’ve made a list with Miss Anneliese.”

            “I’ll go!” Feliciano exclaimed before cramming more forkfuls of food into his mouth. He always enjoyed going into town. There were some pretty salesgirls there. Plus some vendors sold delicious desserts and even pasta!

            “All right, then. What about you, Dániel? Are you going with him?”

            “I guess I will. Probably should anyway, or else he’ll forget what he’s supposed to buy!” he teased.

            “Hey!” Feliciano exclaimed after swallowing. “What do you take me for, some kind of idiot?”

            “Of course not, but you’ve got to admit, you always get so caught up in everything around you that you tend to forget what you were told to do!”

            Feliciano huffed and went back to his food. “I’m not the only one who gets distracted,” he muttered.

            “What was that?”

            “Nothing!” he exclaimed, wide-eyed.

            Dániel gave Feliciano a look before saying, “Well, I’ll go along with you anyhow. It is nice to get out every now and then.”

            “ _Right…_ ” Elizaveta and Feliciano exchanged wry looks, but Dániel just shook his head and ignored them, instead focusing his attention of his plate of food. Soon everyone was done with the meal and Elizaveta began clearing the table.

            “Be back before five, please,” she said as Feliciano snatched up his coat and as Dániel pulled his work boots back on.

            “Will do!” Her brother said, waving as he exited through the kitchen door.

            “Oh, and Feli!”

            Feliciano poked his head back into the kitchen. “ _Sí_?”

            “When you get back we have to mop the ballroom floor.”

            Elizaveta couldn’t help but giggle at Feliciano’s crestfallen expression. Even so, he just sighed and said, “All right… If you say so.”

            “Thank you. Now be off so you can get back sooner!”

            He gave Elizaveta a cheerful grin and followed Dániel to the stables where the older man began harnessing the mare, named Liesl, to a wagon. As he slipped a bridle and harness onto the animal, Feliciano clambered up to sit in the wagon seat and reached for the reins.

            “Hey now!” Dániel said. “Who said you could drive the horse, hmm?”

            “Aw c’mon! You never let me drive!” Feli accused him.

            He merely laughed in response. “That’s because I’m afraid you’ll run the horse off of the road or something! Like I said back inside, you’re very absent-minded.”

            “I’m not as bad as all _that!_ Why do you always treat me like a child?” Feliciano frowned.

            “Because you _are_ a child,” Dániel answered as he climbed up and sat next to Feliciano. He took the reins in his hands.

            “I am eighteen years old,” Feliciano retorted. “I don’t consider that the age of a child.”

            “Then perhaps you should stop acting like one. The way you slack off and shirk some of your duties are not the signs of a mature adult. Instead of always flirting with every skirt you see or lying around eating pasta all day, maybe you should devote your attention to being a hard worker.”

            Feliciano sighed. He didn’t want to argue anymore. He hated arguing.

            “Let’s just get going,” he said. “We wouldn’t want to risk your sister’s wrath!”

            “Amen, brother!” the Hungarian exclaimed. He seemed to have forgotten the previous conversation, or at least, put it to the back of his mind. With a click of his tongue, the mare began heading past the stables, out of the courtyard, and onto the road. It would take ten to twenty minutes before they would reach the main town.

            The sound of church bells could be heard chiming upon the hour. Several people bustled around the town’s streets and Main Square, going about their businesses, purchasing supplies from the market or fabrics from the tailor. Children were running here and there with their dogs or other friends. Young ladies stood on the side of the road with baskets of flowers strewn about their feet as well as holding them in their hands in an attempt to gain a little extra bread money.

            Feliciano admittedly enjoyed flirting with those flower girls. After all, they were so cute with their pretty little bonnets and their rosy cheeks. He liked to run to the nearby vendor that sold yummy little bonbons to buy a couple of chocolate morsels to give to the girls. They’d always have such a pretty blush on their face and would giggle at him out of bashfulness.

            Today, however, was not one of those days of fun flirtations and bonbons. Dániel’s words about his maturity in fact inwardly bothered Feliciano.

            _So what if I’d rather flirt with pretty girls and eat pasta all day?_ He thought. _It’s not like I am a vagrant or anything! I still do my job! What does he expect of me? I’m just a poor, penniless underling whose fate is to clean up and work till my bones weaken with age. I should be entitled to a little fun and relaxation every now and then!_

“Hey! Feli!”

            The voice of his Hungarian companion brought him out of his reverie.

            “What?”

            “Come on! We need to buy those groceries!”

            “I’m coming!” he called.

            “And make sure you tie Liesl up!”

            Feliciano sighed. “Will do.”

            The two of them had stopped at the front of a general store, where there was a fence to tie horses to while unattended. Connected to the fence by little hooks were trays of hay and water if the horses got hungry or thirsty.

            Feliciano hopped down from the wagon seat and tied Liesl’s reins to the fence. She immediately took a drink from the fresh water tray and Feliciano gave her neck a rub before trotting into the store. Inside, he spotted Dániel talking to the store’s manager, who was sharing the latest gossip on neighboring noble families. Dániel always was one for gossip.

            “Oh! And did you hear about what happened at the party that the Lord Bonnefoy threw last week?”

            “I knew there was a party, but I didn’t hear about what happened,” Dániel said.

            “Well, it seems that there was a tremendous row…”

            Dániel rolled his eyes. “Isn’t there always?”

            “Yeah, but get this! It turns out that the eldest son of the Beilschmidt house was goofing around… you know, as he tends to do…”

            “Oh yes. I’ve seen him do some pretty stupid things.”

            The salesclerk chuckled. “Well, it turns out that he was drinking and, from what I’ve heard, he was actually just minding his own business and not really hurting anyone. But…”

            “But?” Dániel urged.

            “He decided to joke with Master Zwingli.”

            “Ohhhh…” Dániel winced. “Then the fellow had it coming to him. Even _I_ know not to mess around with Master Zwingli…”

            “Yeah,” the salesman continued to laugh. “Laid the guy out flat. Pretty sure Beilschmidt got a bloody nose from the man.”

            “Any idea what he did to cause Zwingli to punch him?”

            “Apparently the guy said something about Zwingli’s little sister…”

            Feliciano wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation. All he heard was that there had been a fight at the house of the wealthy French heir Francis Bonnefoy. Instead, Feliciano was eyeing the baked goods on one of the shelves. His ears perked when he heard the sound of the little bell hanging above the door ring. Another person entered the store.

            “Afternoon, everyone!”

            “Michelle!” The store owner exclaimed, peering over Dániel’s shoulder. “Good afternoon!”

            Hearing the name “Michelle,” Feliciano broke into a smile.

            “Well, look who it is!” he said, turning to greet a young woman at the front of the store. She was a pretty little thing, with a dark complexion and long, glorious black hair tied up and braided. Red ribbons were woven into her hair as the one fashionable gesture she was able to do to.

            “Hello, Feli!” Michelle said happily, her brown eyes sparkling. He reached for her and she leaned in to give him sweet, quick kisses on the cheeks. He returned them eagerly.

            “Getting some groceries?” he asked.

            Michelle nodded and the two began walking around the store together. “I need to get things like flour and sugar...” She shrugged. “So how have you been?”

            “Just fine!” He answered happily. “Though I’m unbelievably bored. Being part of the hired help isn’t exactly an exciting job.”

            “Oh, I know what you mean! The only real entertainment we get is when we all can get together and have our own parties.”

            “Speaking of parties,” he said as she put some apples into her basket, “was there really a fight at Master Bonnefoy’s house last week?”

            Michelle rolled her eyes. “Yes. One man apparently said something about another man’s younger sister. There was a real drag-out fist fight in the midst of the ballroom!”

            The two laughed. The nobility, for all their high and mighty ways and their fancy clothing and customs, could be just as bad as regular people! “Who were the men?” he asked. They walked down an aisle and Feliciano helped Michelle grab a jar of spices from a higher shelf.

            “The eldest of the Beilschmidt sons started it by insulting the other man’s sister. He was drunk, though,” she answered. “The man who punched him was Master Zwingli.”

            At that, Feliciano shook his head and sighed. “I bet Ludwig was just red with shame! I’ll have to ask him about it when I next see him.”

            Michelle giggled. “You do that, Feli. It must be nice to have one of the nobles as a friend,” she said as the two of them headed up to the front counter. By that time, Dániel was seemingly gone. Once they were up front, Michelle requested a specific amount of both flour and sugar from the store clerk.

            Feliciano smiled at her as he leaned against the counter. “Ludwig’s a good fellow. One of the best people I know! We don’t get to talk a lot like most friends, but he never treats me like he’s better than me or anything. I do envy him,” he admitted.

            The clerk handed Michelle two small sacks, one of sugar and one of flour, both marked individually.

            “Why?” she asked.

            “Come on! To be able to have money and not work? That would be wonderful!” he exclaimed, grinning.

            “But the nobles do have to work… just differently than us,” Michelle reasoned with him. “We don’t have to worry about a lot of things, just cleaning and making sure we do a good job. If you were a noble, people would tell you what to do, where to go, how to dress…”

            “All right, all right! I get your point!” Feliciano laughed, hands raised.

            After she asked the store clerk to put the charge on the tab of her employer, the two of them headed outside. “Well, I will say one thing,” Michelle said, holding her basket in her arms. “It does get tiring when Bonnefoy hosts so many parties.” She shook her head.

            He shrugged in return. “At least your employer’s parties are lively. Master Roderich’s parties are always so quiet and serious.”

            “Well, maybe we should switch employers for a while!” she jested.

            The two of them walked around the town for a few minutes, chatting about nothing much, as well as looking into the store windows. But pretty soon, Michelle was being called over by one of her associates and she had to bid farewell to Feliciano.

            “I’ll see you around, Feli!” she said pleasantly.

            “Take care of yourself, _bella,”_ he responded, blowing her a kiss as she waved at him.

            The clock chimed half-past four, and Feliciano’s eyes widened. He and Dániel had to get back soon, or else they would both feel the wrath of Elizaveta’s pan!

            “Where is Dániel, anyway?” he said to himself. The last time he had seen Elizaveta’s brother, he had been in the general store purchasing the groceries they needed.

            After wandering around the streets for several minutes (all the while tasting free samples of food and flirting with a couple of girls he came across), he found himself standing by the town’s beautifully structured cathedral. His eyes widened when he recognized Dániel standing at the gates. He seemed to be waiting for something… or someone.

            At that moment, a tiny group (four or five, at best) of nuns walked out. Most of them were older, but amidst the women was a younger woman with a pale face and violet eyes. Underneath her white habit were strands of pale blonde hair. She held a book in her hands and seemed to be deep in thought. Suddenly, Dániel approached her and it seemed to Feliciano that he tried to exchange pleasant conversation with her. He was smiling kindly and only touched her shoulder with the gentlest of touches.

            The young lady, however, seemed very alarmed at his sudden advances and backed away, merely saying one or two things to the Hungarian man. No matter how hard he tried, the woman would not stay to talk. With reddened cheeks, she shot one final word to him and hurried after her fellow nuns. Feliciano, quite curious by now, noticed that Dániel seemed quite crestfallen as he watched the young woman walk away.

            “Hey,” he said, approaching his comrade.

            “What? Oh… Hello, Feli,” Dániel murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

            “Did you get the groceries?”

            Elizaveta’s brother nodded. He still seemed quite down.

            “All right… We should be going then, don’t you think?”

            Dániel merely nodded again and the two of them headed back to the General Store, where their horse and wagon was still securely tied up. Fortunately, Feliciano could see the bags of supplies lying in the wagon. Dániel harnessed the horse and the both of them got onto the wagon seat. Without saying a single thing, Dániel urged the horse to walk forward and they wordlessly headed back to the Edelstein manor.


	2. First Meeting

               _Splat!_ Feliciano slapped the mop onto the tiled floor of the ballroom and began to shove it around. He did his best not to slide around on his makeshift shoes of wrapped towels as he moved forward, cleaning the floor as he went.

               “So,” he heard Elizaveta say as she also mopped the floor. The ends of her skirt were tucked up into her belt and she too had wrapped towels around her bare feet.

               “So, what happened on the way back?” she asked.

               Feliciano paused and leaned on the mop. “He went to the church again.”

               That caused her to pause as well. “Did he look for Maria?”

               “He actually tried to talk to her.”

               Elizaveta sighed and passed a hand over her forehead. “I keep trying to tell him… Once she took the vows, there was no possible chance of…”

               Feliciano nodded. “He just doesn’t want to listen, huh?”

               Elizaveta sighed. “Nope. I don’t know if he ever will.” A wistful look came over her face. “But, well, when you love someone, sometimes you don’t listen to reason.”

               They continued mopping the floor and Feliciano slightly frowned. “I don’t think I’ve ever really been in love before,” he said quietly.

               “You flirt enough,” she teased. “What about that island girl who works at Master Bonnefoy’s house?”

               “Michelle?” Feliciano couldn’t help but smile. “She is very cute, and I do like her… but I don’t think I’m in love with her. I know she doesn’t love me.”

               “I see,” Elizaveta responded. She scooted over near the piano and swept the mop around the big, black instrument.

               “What about you, Eliza- Whoa!”

               His feet skidded; he dropped the mop, his arms flailed. Elizaveta gasped.

               “Watch it, Feli!” she exclaimed. She was about to slide over there to help him, but after a couple seconds of flailing his arms and staggering, he righted himself.

               “That was close!” he cried.

               “Yeah. You could’ve gotten that part of the floor dirty!” Elizaveta teased.

               Feliciano scoffed. “Thanks for your concern!”

               “Any time!” she shot back, grinning.

               It took a good ten more minutes to finish mopping the ballroom floor, but together, they found that those ten minutes seemed to pass by rather quickly. When they were finished, she held the buckets, he took the mops (to his shame, Elizaveta seemed to be able to carry the buckets easier than himself) and they headed out of the room.

               “Is there someone you have feelings for, Elizaveta?” he asked as they headed to the kitchen.

               To his surprise, she merely lowered her head and shrugged. “Perhaps…” she mumbled.

               “Who is it? You can tell me!”

               But Elizaveta shook her head. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

               He didn’t know what to say to that, so he remained quiet. Even though Elizaveta usually had an open personality, there were little things about her that she kept secret from her friends and even her family. As for her brother, Elizaveta couldn’t help but worry about him.

               It seemed to her that Dániel still had his heart set on wooing the young woman he had grown up with. They had played together as children. Little Maria Beilschmidt had been a lively, playful little girl who always had an adventure in store. Dániel was her confidant and she was his. As the years passed, Dániel’s fondness for the pale, little Prussian girl began turning into something deeper. He thought she felt the same, and was hoping to court her, but all that ended when they both turned twenty. Something in Maria had changed. She drew within herself and her thoughts became consumed with religious matters, suddenly saying that she was giving up the “lusts of the flesh” for a life with a higher purpose. She left her parents’ house, took up the vows of a nun and refused to talk to any man save her brothers and her father. Dániel tried to find out why, but if her family knew the reasons, they weren’t talking. Even so, Dániel was determined to show her that he would still be around, ready to love her if she ever returned from her life of abstinence.

               “I wish you would come to grips with it,” Elizaveta quietly said to Dániel that same evening. She sat on a railing as she watched him clean out the stables. The sun was setting and shadows began to bounce along the stable walls.

               “Maria has made her choices and I think you should respect them. You’ll only just continue to hurt yourself and bring additional pain to her!”

               He shoved a pitchfork into a bale of hay and tossed the hay into the stalls.

               “You just worry about your own affairs, Eliza,” he answered.

               “I was only just –“

               “Maria wouldn’t have just woken up one day and decide to join a convent. I need to find out what happened to make her change so drastically.”

               “She was always spontaneous when we were children…”

               “Not when it came to religion.”

               Elizaveta sighed. “I don’t know what to tell you, brother. I just wish you would try to find someone else…”

               Dániel jammed the pitchfork into a smaller pile of hay. “And what about you?” he shot back.

               Elizaveta’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

               “Don’t play dumb with me, Eliza. I know what’s been going on despite your attempts to conceal it.”

               Her face reddened and she looked down at the stable’s floor. “That is different,” she said weakly.

               “But it’s doomed to fail. Someone like you with someone like him can’t last forever.”

               Elizaveta slid off of the railing and stormed out of the stables.

               “I didn’t ask for your opinion on the subject!” she shouted back at him before he could apologize for his harsh words. Instead, he just sadly watched as she went back inside the manor via the kitchen and slammed the door behind her.

               Feliciano was sneaking a bite of jarred peaches when he heard the kitchen door slam shut, which caused him to almost drop the jar. He opened the pantry door a slight crack and saw Elizaveta sitting at the table with her head buried in her arms. His forehead puckered out of worry. After gingerly putting the jar back on the shelf and slowly opening the pantry door, he went over to Elizaveta’s side and gently laid his hand on top of her head.

               “What’s the matter, _Tesoro?_ ” he asked.

               She slightly shook her head. “Don’t ask me,” was her muffled response.

               He sighed and just stroked her hair. “All right. But you know you can always tell me about what bothers you.”

               She raised her head and scrubbed the tears away. “Thanks, Feli.”

               He was about to say something more when the door leading out into the dining room opened and the Master of the house  entered the kitchen.

               “Feliciano, I was wondering if- Oh, hello Elizaveta.” Roderich Edelstein surveyed the situation. Feliciano was standing beside Elizaveta with his hand on her head while she was sitting at the kitchen table crying.

               He frowned in concern. “Elizaveta… you’re crying…”

               She sniffed and looked away, her hand rubbing away more tears. Master Edelstein seemed to almost make a move towards her, but refrained at the last minute.

               “What happened?” he asked quietly.

               Elizaveta said nothing, but jumped to her feet. With a gasping, “Excuse me,” she ran out of the room, leaving the two fellows alone.

               After staring at the door for a minute, and frowning, he turned back to Feliciano.

               “I was going to ask you if you knew where Elizaveta was, but I think I shall talk to her later. Now, Feli, as my sister’s birthday is only a few weeks away, I need you, Elizaveta and Dániel to begin preparing for her party.”

               “Oh! Yes sir!” Feliciano said. He suddenly began feeling excited. _That’s right! Miss Anneliese’s birthday is coming soon! I had quite forgotten!_

               “You know how hectic things get around here when we decide to host one of these, so you will listen to everything Elizaveta tells you. And tomorrow, I want you to go to the ballroom and begin making it look presentable. That will be your main job this week, understood?”

               He inwardly dreaded this order, but nodded. “Yes, sir. We will be sure to make the house look absolutely beautiful for the Mistress’ birthday!”

               Roderich had a small smile on his face at Feliciano’s enthusiasm. “Thank you. Now, if you need me I will be in my study. Remember, if you have any questions, just ask Elizaveta.”

               Feliciano nodded and Roderich began to exit the room. As for Elizaveta, Feliciano began to debate within himself about when would be a good time to tell her the news about the party.

**…**

               Roderich Edelstein headed upstairs and entered the parlor where his sister sat in one of the plush chairs, working on her patchwork. He went and sat down beside her.

               “Ah, it looks like you are getting on in your sewing,” he said, peering at little words on her handy work. She was almost done sewing in the last of “Bless this home.”

               Anneliese paused and looked up at her brother, with a small smile on her face.

               “Yes. I was thinking about making some scarves after I am finished with this, since autumn is coming.”

               “We can always buy some, you know.”

               “Oh, but I enjoy doing it myself!” She looked down at her patchwork. “I don’t know… I just feel like I am actually…” She stopped and slightly shrugged.

               “Well,” Roderich said, changing the subject, “I’ve begun planning your party.”

               Her smile widened. “I can’t believe you still plan a big party like this every year. You know I don’t need one.”

               “Nonsense! Plus it’s a good time to socialize with friends, among others…”

               “Will Elizaveta be taking care of all arrangements?” Anneliese asked, focusing her attention back on her sewing.

               “Yes.”

               Anneliese studied her brother for a minute, but said nothing.

               “I have a special gift for you this year,” Roderich said. A secretive smile was on his face.

               “I do hope it is not more pearl hair combs. I’m incessantly bombarded with the things and I don’t think I can take much more of it.”

               “You needn’t worry,” Roderich patted his sister’s hand. “This is most certainly not hair combs. Now, what say you and I make a list of guests you wish to invite to your party?”

**…**

               For the rest of the week, the Edelstein manor was bustling with excitement and panic. After Elizaveta seemingly got over her inner troubles, she took charge of the party planning and began running around ordering this, sending out that, and organizing other things. People were hired to come in and help with the decorations, with the food and with the service on the actual night of the party. The big kitchen seemed to shrink in Feliciano’s eyes: there was just so much food piled everywhere! It made his mouth water to see the chickens and the geese. There was even lobster! He dearly hoped there would be pasta…

               Meanwhile, he was stuck with a lot of the cleaning. He had to sweep and mop, clean the curtains, dust and prepare the rooms for guests. As the weeks wound down, he grew more excited, almost to the point of bouncing from room to room. Elizaveta almost smacked him a couple of times because he was so energetic.

               “Feliciano, why don’t you go finish that little project you were working on,” she muttered, rubbing her temples.

               “But I want to help!” he exclaimed, beaming.

               “You’ve helped so much already,” she answered, trying to maintain a sweet attitude. “But if you don’t finish that painting, you won’t be helping anyone and the Mistress won’t have her birthday present.”

               His eyes widened. “You’re right! I’d better get right to it, then! Luckily, it’s almost finished!” And he bounded past the several numbers of people hurrying to and fro through the house trying to get things done. When he reached his room, Feliciano went into his small closet and pulled out a paint-stained frock. It was so stained, in fact, that he was beginning to forget what color the frock originally was.

               Once the frock was tied on, he then pulled out a folded up easel that he set up near his bedroom window. Lying neatly stacked against the wall underneath the window sill was a decent sized canvas. He pulled up a stool, placed the canvas on the easel and fished around a small makeshift desk for his paints. Yes, Feliciano was a painter. He was an amateur, regardless, but he was improving quite steadily. Roderich had noticed this of late, and was quite impressed with the sketches his young employee showed him.

               _Do you think you can do an entire painting?_ He had asked Feliciano.

               _The young man tilted his head and thought about the question. “I suppose it would depend on what the subject is…” he finally answered._

_“I was thinking a portrait of my sister.”_

_That made Feliciano a bit more enthusiastic. “You want **me** to paint a portrait of Miss Anneliese? Do you think I can do her justice?”_

_“I have seen your paintings of Elizaveta and several other girls. I think you have real talent, Feliciano.”_

_He also found it incredibly convenient.”It will mean extra meals of pasta for the rest of the week,” he offered._

_Feliciano was more than willing to comply after hearing that, and Roderich gave him an older painting of the lady as a reference for his portrait. Of course, Feliciano also tried his best to study the lady herself from afar to get better proportions and details._

               Thus here he was, in his room finishing up another layer of his painting. As he began forming the lovely deep blue eyes of his muse, he couldn’t help but sigh. It really was rather unfair that he couldn’t have the lady herself before him in the room, for him to admire. But since this was supposed to be a surprise, he had to deal with looking at yet another depiction of her instead of Anneliese herself.

               _Whoever marries her will be a lucky man!_ He decided.

               When the night of Anneliese’s birthday came, the food was ready, the hired help was dressed in their finest, the visitors (those who were invited, and even those who weren’t invited) arrived at the designated time (or fashionably arrived five minutes late, as was the custom of some, like the wealthy Francis Bonnefoy) and the orchestra was playing the lady of the house’s favorite classical pieces. Many marveled at how yet again, the Edelsteins were able to make their home look exquisite for being the frugal nobles they were.

               “I say, Edelstein, the house looks lovely,” some said.

               “Looks like you went all out for your sister again!” many others replied, to which Roderich would say,

               “Well, of course. I want my sister to have the finest!”

               Elizaveta and several other hired hands went around carrying trays of _hors d'oeuvres_ (even though it was a French custom, the Edelsteins liked to have what was fashionable for the day) and Feliciano helped hand out champagne. Every now and then, he saw the lady of the party herself passing here and there, greeting many and exchanging pleasant conversation with friends. Around midnight, requests for dances was called, and Feliciano was happy to discover that they were finally able to play something a bit more exciting, though he did wish he could have been dancing. There were some very pretty ladies there that night.

               He was allowed a break and went through several back doors to reach the kitchen. He just wanted a small morsel of pasta and maybe a quick drink of something (wine, preferably).  In the kitchen itself, chefs and washers alike were hard at work preparing more appetizers and washing soiled dishes. No one really noticed Feliciano as he sneaked a small plateful of ziti. Sadly, he couldn’t get any wine. After gobbling it up in a corner of the room, he headed back out into the crowd with tray at hand.

               “Champagne, _signori?_ ” he asked, holding out the tray. Several took a glass, some ignored him and others waved him away.

               Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder.

               “You wouldn’t happen to have any beer, would you?”

               “Ah! Ludwig!” Feliciano exclaimed happily.

               A tall, young man dressed in a military uniform with slicked back golden hair smiled down at the Italian. “It is good to see you, my friend,” he answered.

               “I didn’t know the militia was back in town!”

               “We only arrived last night. Believe me, I am the only fellow from the ranks to come here tonight. After all, I want to celebrate cousin Anneliese’s party as well.”

               Feliciano shrugged. “Well, it’s good to see you again, no doubt about that!”

               “Likewise, Felicano. You seem to be keeping busy.”

               “Yes, well…” Feliciano paused and offered a couple more guests some champagne. “You know how it is. Birthdays are always such a big deal! Speaking of which, did you get Miss Anneliese a present?”

               Ludwig nodded. “Some trinket or other from my travels. What was it…? Combs, I think. For her hair.”

               “Ah,” Feliciano nodded sagely. “I’m sure she can put those to good use. Ladies usually can with those kinds of things.”

               “Since when did you become such an expert on the ladies?”

               “What are you talking about? I’ve always been an expert!” Feliciano grinned, which made Ludwig roll his eyes.

               “But as I was asking to begin with…” The taller man leaned down. “You got anything else besides that bubbly liquid there?”

               Feliciano smirked. “No, sir. This is a _lady’s_ party. The main drink for tonight is champagne.”

               Ludwig grimaced. “Shame.”

               “I know. I could do with some wine, myself,” Feliciano sighed. “Red wine. Yes…”

               “Feliciano!”

               He winced at the sound of Elizaveta’s accusatory voice.

               “What are you doing? We still need more- Oh! Mister Ludwig! I didn’t know you were back!”

               Elizaveta was clothed in a black dress and held an empty tray that once held appetizers. Looking up at the young man she gave him a smile.

               “Hello, Miss Héderváry.”

               Her face flushed. “Why do you keep calling me that? It’s not like I’m one of you or anything.”

               “I don’t care if you and Dániel are looked down on as servants by others. You will always be the friends we played with as children.”

               “Wait!” Feliciano exclaimed. “You two grew up together?”

               “We used to play in the town together and Mr. Héderváry was the gardener for our family’s estate. Elizaveta and our sister Maria were quite the pair of scoundrels,” Ludwig said, with an amused smile.

               “And your brother,” Elizaveta shot a wry look over to the left of the ballroom, “was no better.”  
               Feliciano chuckled and glanced over to see a pale man with red eyes standing by the punch table laughing and slapping Roderich Edelstein on the back who, by the way, didn’t look very amused.

               “So your sister turns nineteen today! That’s pretty awesome! I have to admit, she looks quite fetching tonight! Has she always been so pretty?” Ludwig’s brother said before sampling some of the punch.

               “I’m sure Anneliese would be happy to hear you tell her so yourself, Gilbert,” Roderich said, trying to remain patient.

               “Aw, well… you know…” the Prussian man actually rubbed the back of his neck, a bit embarrassed. “I wouldn’t know what to…”

               Suddenly he spotted Elizaveta, Feliciano and Ludwig and waved.

               “ Hey! Liz! I haven’t seen you in a while!” He strode over to the three of them. “Champagne! Don’t mind if I do!”

               He snatched up one of the glasses on Feliciano’s tray and downed it in one gulp. Elizaveta just looked at him, unimpressed.

               “Try not to cause a scene here tonight, Gil,” she said. “I heard about what happened at Master Bonnefoy’s house.”

               “What?” He exclaimed. “I didn’t even do anything! I just said _one_ little comment (that wasn’t even insulting, it was quite flattering, actually) about that fellow’s younger sister, and suddenly bam! I’m lying flat on the floor!”

               “You need to watch what you say around Basch Zwingli, brother. I keep telling you that,” Ludwig said.

               “Are you saying I don’t have tact?”

               “We all _know_ you don’t have tact,” Elizaveta answered. Gilbert Beilschmidt merely laughed and put an arm around her shoulders.

               “Aw, Liz. That’s what I like about you. You always speak your mind!”

               “Well, to you, anyway. Now get off of me.”

               Feliciano watched this exchange with some amusement. It was quite interesting to him that Elizaveta and Dániel had grown up with the Beilschmidt brothers. He wondered what they were all like as children. Meanwhile, Gilbert complied to Elizaveta’s request, but his eyes remained on her, full of warmth. Elizaveta focused her attention on Feliciano.

               “We really ought to get back to work. Enjoy the party Ludwig, and you,” she pointed to Gilbert and frowned. “Behave yourself. Master Zwingli is here, if I’m not mistaken, as is his sister.”

               “Yes, yes. I’ve seen him. Don’t worry, I am staying _far_ away from that fellow,” Gilbert said, folding his arms.

               Elizaveta nodded and gestured for Feliciano to follow her. “Come, Feli. We’ve got to clean up.”

               “Have a good evening, guys!” Feliciano waved to the two brothers and headed for the kitchen.

               Around the time where Anneliese was opening her presents, Feliciano was in the dining room with a cart loaded with dirty dishes and silverware. It was half-past three in the morning, and he was beginning to lag. His eyes drooped and he let out a massive yawn.

               “Tired, huh?” One of the hired hands said to him as he pushed the loaded cart into the kitchen.

               “Eh, yeah,” he murmured. “This is the last of the dishes,” he said, loading them onto the counter. He sighed again. The kitchen was pretty warm due to the cooked food and the steam rising from the hot water and he felt sweat rolling down his forehead.  He was beginning to feel miserable.

               Once the dishes were unloaded and he wheeled the cart into a storage closet, Feliciano decided he wanted some air. Maybe the cool night air would wake him up. He informed some of the workers that he was stepping outside to cool down and they just nodded. It was getting on in the night and no one seemed to care about much anymore.

               The night air felt wonderful to Feliciano as he headed outside for the back terrace. He heaved a sigh and sat down on the terrace floor just outside the ballroom doors. He could hear the people inside chatting and remarking on the different gifts that Miss Edelstein received and smiled when he heard many gush and gasp over a specific painting that Mr. Edelstein had supposedly commissioned an anonymous painter to do. It bothered him a little that Roderich didn’t actually tell everyone that it was his own worker that had painted the portrait, but he wasn’t one to hold grudges and just shrugged it off. He was too tired to really worry about it, anyway.

               “Are you all right, Elise?” Feliciano heard someone ask.

               A soft voice answered. “Yes, I am perfectly fine. I just need a little bit of air, that’s all.”

               “All right,” the first voice said. “Just try not to catch cold.”

               The ballroom doors opened and someone came outside. “I’ll be all right. It’s not that cold out tonight.”

               It was a young woman that emerged from the glowing light of the ballroom and out onto the terrace. Feliciano couldn’t see her face, but judging from her silhouette, she wasn’t very tall. She was pretty diminutive, actually; even shorter than him! She leaned against the railing and seemed to be deep in thought as she peered up at the sky. Feliciano wondered if he should try to move and sneak past her, but he ultimately decided to stay put. He didn’t feel like getting up.

               At that moment, the moon peeked through the night clouds and shone down onto the terrace. Feliciano was able to catch a glimpse of the lady’s face and his eyes widened. He beheld a pretty, pale face with dainty features framed by golden wisps of hair. Her eyes were the most beautiful color of blue mixed with green. She wore a summer dress that was of a light peach color that accentuated the blue in her eyes.

               Something struck the young Italian man that night. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the young lady. He leaned forward, wanting to catch every minute detail of this woman: her face, her figure, the way her golden hair was braided and wound up in a way that was fashionable at the time, the deep blue ribbons woven into that shimmering hair and trailing down her back… Everything about her enchanted him. One would have thought he had never seen a girl before now from the way he was gawking. He must have made some sort of sound, for she suddenly started and peered around the terrace nervously.

               “Who was that?” she asked. “Is someone out there?”

               Feliciano felt mortified for scaring her. “Ah! No! Please don’t be alarmed, Miss! It’s only me.”

               He stood up and stepped into the light. Upon seeing him, the young lady seemed more at ease.

               “Oh! Well, you certainly don’t look like a vagrant or anything,” she said pleasantly. “I don’t mean to be so nervous, but my brother is always warning me about vagrants and whatnot. ‘They’ll jump out at you when you least expect it!’ He used to say that… Silly, really.” She laughed.

               “Well, not to worry! I’m quite harmless, I assure you!” He replied, grinning. “I’m just out here getting some air, just like you it seems.”

               “Oh yes. It did get rather stuffy in there. Are you one of the party guests? I haven’t seen you before.”

               Feliciano suddenly felt quite bashful. He didn’t know why. He had plenty of pleasant conversations with other young ladies. Why was it that only now was he feeling so embarrassed?

               _Ah, right,_ he realized. _It’s because this girl is actually a noble and I’m talking to her as if I belong in her circles. She doesn’t even know I’m a servant._

He could have lied and told her that he was from a wealthy family from some far-off land, but looking into those big, bright eyes he decided that he didn’t want to deceive this young lady.

               “Well, actually, I’m a worker for Mister Edelstein. You probably haven’t seen me because I’ve been running around everywhere.” He chuckled sheepishly.

               _She probably won’t talk to me now,_ he thought. _I can’t blame her for it. I am just a servant after all._

But suddenly, he felt upset and suddenly, the thought of this lady snubbing him left him feeling more miserable than he had ever felt before. She wasn’t like the common girls he flirted with in the town square. She was different.

               “Is something wrong?” she asked. He looked up, surprised. She was staring at him with a curious look in her eyes. “You seem sad all of a sudden.”

               Feliciano felt his face heat up. She could tell something was troubling him? Was he that easy to read?

               _Wait!_ He suddenly thought. _She’s still talking to me!_ He was so surprised that he almost forgot to answer her.

               “I-uh-I’m just surprised!” he finally exclaimed.

               The lady’s eyes widened. “Why?”

               “Well, it’s not every day that someone like me gets to talk like this to someone like you!”

               He mentally kicked himself just as the words came out of his mouth. _Probably shouldn’t have said that… She might think I’m implying something on her part, or that I’m being too forward._

Instead, the girl continued to surprise him. She just blinked and watched him, a bit confused.

               “‘Someone like you’? It’s not like I’m royalty or anything. You don’t have to worry that I’ll be offended with you talking to me. I’m just glad I am able to talk with someone closer to my own age for once!”

               She smiled, but then peered around them furtively. “I probably shouldn’t have said that last bit,” she whispered.

               Feliciano just couldn’t believe how lucky he was tonight. For the first time, someone from a noble family (besides Ludwig Beilschmidt) was treating him as an equal, and it was a pretty young lady with beautiful eyes and a sweet smile at that! Someone from up above must like him, Feliciano figured. He wished he could tell her how he admired her pleasant nature and lovely features, but he knew he didn’t have the right to.

               Instead, he merely stammered out, “I-I’m Feliciano. Feliciano Vargas.”

               Her smiled widened. “Feliciano. That’s Italian, is it not?”

               He nodded.

               “So you’re from Italy?” She stepped closer to him, bringing her hands together and resting them on her chest.

               “Sí, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen that country. I’ve been serving in this house for some time now.”

               “Do you wish to go back?”

               Feliciano had a wistful look on his face. “You know, when I left, I told myself I never wanted to go back.” He bashfully looked down at his boots. He couldn’t believe he was telling this girl all of this, yet he found that she was quite easy to talk with.

               “But now that I think about it, I admit sometimes I do miss that place. I left to find work – to make a new life. I wanted to travel, but instead I just ended up here.” He sheepishly laughed.

               “I suppose I sound foolish.”

               The lady shook her head. “Oh, no. You were able to leave home and see other places. I envy you, actually.”

               She turned and looked back up to the sky. “I would love to go to Italy. I would love to go anywhere, really.”

               “You’ve never traveled?”

               The lady leaned against the terrace railing and looked at him. “I have not. It’s quite a shame, isn’t it?”

               Their gazes held with one another’s as he leaned against the railing next to her.

               “Well, Italy would be a good place to start!” He actually became excited. He had been away for so long; memories of his old home left him feeling nostalgic.

               “We make some of the best food you’ll ever taste! No other country can match it!”

               His enthusiasm began to make her smile. “That’s what Mister Bonnefoy says about his country.”

               “Well, no offense to him, but French food is too dainty!” Feliciano waved his hand, as if to say “Forget what that man says!”

               “I promise you, Italy has some of the best meals and desserts! Plus, we have a history of beautiful art and architecture! If you ever go there, you’ll have your breath taken away!”

               He leaned in toward her. “And I should also mention our city that’s entirely built upon water!”

               Her eyes widened. “Water?”

               “Yes! You have to travel by boat to get anywhere!”

               She giggled. “It sounds like fun!”

               “It is!” He laughed with her. Feliciano was enjoying this little lady’s company ever so much that he didn’t realize he was leaning in a bit too close to her. So close, in fact, that his forehead was almost touching hers. She seemed to notice first, for her cheeks began to turn a deeper shade of pink than was usual and she backed away. Feliciano began feeling guilty. He had gotten too close.

               _You idiot! You’ve probably frightened her!_ He wanted to smack himself.

               “P-perhaps I could convince my brother to travel with me to Italy some day,” she said, quieter than she had been before. She didn’t look him in the eye. 

               Feliciano kept smiling, but was beginning to feel an awkwardness settle in. “Yes. You should do that,” he answered.

               Suddenly, someone opened the ballroom doors and Feliciano beheld a young man with pale-blond hair and light blue eyes.

               “Elise, your brother is looking for you,” he said quietly.

               “Thank you, Emil,” she said quickly and the young man headed back inside. As Feliciano watched her head towards the ballroom, she suddenly spun around.

               “It was a pleasure meeting you, Feliciano!” she exclaimed.

               “The pleasure was all mine, Miss!”

               She had her hand on the door handle, but didn’t go inside.

               “Elise.”

               “What?” he asked.

               “You can call me Elise. I mean, it’s only fair, since you let me call you by your Christian name…” Her face turned pink again.

               Feliciano smiled. “Thank you… Elise… The name suits you. It’s a very pretty name, just like –“  He stopped. His eyes widened.

               _I was about to tell her she was pretty!_ This time, he was the one with the pink cheeks.

               He heard her giggle and saw a flash of a smile and a swirl of skirts as she quickly ran into the ballroom, leaving Feliciano feeling as if he was floating up in the clouds instead of standing outside, gawking at nothing.

**…**

               “There you are! Where have you been? Come on, you need to help me hand the guests their coats!”

               Elizaveta found Feliciano sitting in the kitchen, looking down at the table as if deep in thought. When he heard her, he looked blankly up at her.

               “Oh… Hello, Elizaveta. Is the party over already?”

               She stared at him. “Feli, are you all right?”

               “Sure I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

               “Because,” she said slowly. “Last time I saw you, you were practically dragging your feet and whining about how tired you were… Did something happen?”

               Her bafflement grew when a smile spread across his face. He rested his chin in his hand and sighed.

               “You could say that.”

               Elizaveta was curious, she would admit, but there wasn’t time for questions now.

               “Well, daydream all you want later when you go to sleep. Right now, we’ve got to see the guests off.”

               She grabbed his arm and he allowed her to pull him up on to his feet. Feliciano followed her through a small door that opened up to a narrow staircase that led to the upper floors and they climbed it. In a coat closet were the coats and wraps of the guests and she handed some to Feliciano while carrying some herself.

               Back downstairs, the host and hostess were saying their farewells to the guests and Feliciano and Elizaveta handed them their things. Feliciano’s friend Ludwig was amongst them along with his brother and he bid the younger man goodbye as Elizaveta handed him his coat.

               “Drop by sometime, when you have a break,” Ludwig said. “We could play a game of chess or watch my brother humiliate himself at hunting.”

               Feliciano snickered. “How about I bring along a card game called Scopa? I’ll teach you how to play.”

               “Sounds interesting. I’ll look forward to it. Now, where’s my…”

               Ludwig turned and spotted his elder brother talking to Anneliese Edelstein. Gilbert held her hand, affectionately patting it. She smiled at him fondly, albeit shyly.

               “Gil!”

               The Prussian looked away and nodded to his brother. “Be right there!”

               Ludwig  nodded and then said, “Well, try to get some sleep, Feliciano.”

               “Yeah, you do the same. Good night!”

               Ludwig headed outside and Feliciano continued his job. He handed the men their coats and helped the ladies into theirs. As he held up a dark blue, furry thing of a coat, the owner stepped up and thanked him in a soft voice that he would have recognized anywhere.

               He stared into the surprised eyes of the girl named Elise.

               “It seems we meet again,” she said quietly. A shy smile came over her face.

               He knew he was staring. He was inwardly shouting at himself to stop.

               “I-It seems s-so,” he stammered. He wished he could act normal. Why was he so worked up all of a sudden? Why was it that this one girl caused such a reaction?

               Her smile made his heart begin to beat faster. People walked around them, but they seemed to be walking past in slow motion – at least to Feliciano. He just continued to look into those blue eyes mixed with green. They really were such a unique, lovely color. Not many people in Italy had such eyes.

               Suddenly, he heard someone clear their throat.

               “I think she would like you to give her the coat,” a gruff voice said.

               Feliciano blinked and he looked up at a taller man with hair and eyes the exact same color as Elise.

               “Oh! My apologies!”

               He was about to help Elise put on her coat, but the man snatched it from his hands and did the job himself.

               “Come, Elise. Let’s go.”

               Before she could say anything, the man began to usher her outside. She turned once and gave Feliciano an apologetic smile before she vanished into the night.

               “That Basch. He’s always so antsy when it comes to his sister.”

               Feliciano turned and saw that Gilbert Beilschmidt was standing in front of him.

               “That… that fellow just now, you mean? With the young lady?”

               “Yeah. That’s Basch Zwingli and that young lady just so happens to be his little sister, Elise Zwingli.”

               _So that’s who she is…_ Feliciano gulped. He had heard about how protective the Swiss man was about his little sister.

               Gilbert took the coat from Feliciano. “I feel sorry for whoever that girl marries. I mean, she’s the sweetest lady you’ll ever find, but dealing with someone like her brother…” He winced. “I wouldn’t be able to stand it.”

               And with that, the man headed outside. Feliciano didn’t say or do anything. He just stared down at the floor until the guests began to ignore him and take their coats themselves.

               _So…_ he thought. _The young lady that I admire is the sister of none other than Basch Zwingli, the over-protective, famous gunman…_

He ran his hand through his mop of chestnut-colored hair and heaved a massive sigh.

               _What am I going to do?_


	3. Shared Umbrella

            Elise stared out the window of her bedroom listlessly. A book sat discarded in her lap as she lay in bed, her gaze focused on the raindrops rolling down the window pane. As she stared down at the garden that her room overlooked, she wished that she could put on some boots and a coat and go out splashing in the puddles. Sadly, that wasn’t possible. She sighed and put her handkerchief up to her reddened nose.

            There was a knock on the door and she slowly, almost regretfully looked away from the window.

            “Come in,” she said.

            The young man with light blue eyes and pale hair opened the door. He carried with him a tray of bread and soup with a glass of water.

            “You hungry?” He asked, placing the tray on the table beside her bed.

            Elise stared at the bowl of soup and cup for a minute.

            “Not particularly,” she finally answered.

            “Well, you need to eat. Basch wants you to take those vitamin pills as well.”

            The fellow pointed to two white capsules that sat next to the cup on the tray.

            Elise sighed and smiled. “Aren’t you tired of being my nurse maid yet, Emil?”

            An actual smile formed on the usually-serious young man’s face. He went and sat down near her feet on the edge of the bed.

            “Well, since your brother’s now come back with the militia, you won’t have me nagging you day in and day out.”

            “Yes,” she chuckled. “He’ll be the one doing the nagging.”

            Her chuckling quickly turned into coughs and Emil quickly grabbed the cup of water and helped her take a sip. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, trying to control her coughing.

            “I shouldn’t have let you stay outside so long at that party,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.

            She took another sip. “It’s just a little cold, Emil. I won’t die over this.”

            “You and I both know that colds can turn into worse things. What were you doing, anyway? You only needed a minute or two to cool down.”

            He watched a small smile come over her face.

            “I was … talking to someone.”

            Emil looked a bit baffled. “You mean that Italian fellow? Did you know him?”

            She shrugged. “Well… no. But he was very friendly. He told me about Italy.”

            “Italy?”

            She nodded, more enthusiastically now. “Wouldn’t you like to go to Italy?”

            “Well,” he shrugged. “I’ve heard it’s quite warm down there. Don’t know how I’d like it…”

            “Oh…” she said. The room grew quiet and Emil looked down at his hands. This was how it usually was between the two of them: they would have a moment of camaraderie, but then he would run out of things to say and they would both fall silent. He wished he could be more conversational. What had that young Italian done to keep Elise so focused? She seemed so happy and excited that night after she had gone back inside when Emil had called her.

            He’d have to think about it later. Right now, he had to go and see if Elise’s brother needed him to do anything else before he could head home.

            “Well, if you don’t need anything else…” he said, rising from his seat on the bed.

            She smiled. “Thank you, Emil. I know I’ve probably been a pain to take care of all these months while Basch is gone, but I really appreciate your kindness.”

            He looked at her silently for a minute until another genuine, pleasant smile crept over his face.

            “It was no pain, Elise, you can be sure of that. I’ve enjoyed these past couple of months. Now, you just get some rest so you can go outside again. All right?”

            Elise grinned and saluted him. “Yes sir!” She took the bowl of soup into her hands and began eating.

            After a few seconds of watching her, Emil quietly left the bedroom. He headed down the stairs and onto the second floor of the spacious house that was left to Basch Zwingli when he became a high-ranking officer in the militia. On the second floor lay the Swiss man’s office. Emil stopped in front of the door and rapped on the door twice.

            “Come in!” Came a sharp reply from inside.

            “It’s Emil, Mr. Zwingli,” the young man said as he entered the office. It was a clean, efficient place with a couple of firearms hanging on the wall for quick use. At the desk sat the elder brother of Elise: a tall man with golden hair and eyes the same color as his sister. He had a stern look on his face as he looked up from his paperwork and his glance only softened a slim bit at the sight of Emil.

            “Ah. How is my sister, sir?” he asked. His voice was accented and clipped.

            “I don’t think she’s doing too badly. She began eating the food I gave to her, although I don’t think she enjoys being … having to lie abed all day.”

            Emil refrained from using the term “being cooped up in her room” for fear his employer might suspect implications of being too protective. The man was very sensitive when it came to his younger sister, but for good reasons, Emil had to admit.

            A hint of a smile actually came over the serious man’s face. “Well. It’s for her own good. She knows that,” he said. He sat back in his chair and stared into space.

            “I can’t have her falling ill again,” he murmured.

            “Oh no, sir!” Emil exclaimed. “No, of course not!”

            “I know you think I take extra precautions that aren’t needed. Heh, everyone thinks that. But I’d rather be too careful and see her in good health than be too careless and see her near death. Just like…” He stopped and looked away. Emil said nothing. He just watched the man intently and saw him heave his shoulders, and heard him clear his throat.

            “Yes. Well. I’m glad she’s eating,” he finally said. “And I want to thank you for watching out for her while I was away.” Basch Zwingli turned back to Emil. “I know it wasn’t what you signed up for.”

            “Oh, it was no trouble, sir,” Emil said, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. In fact, he had quite enjoyed those past couple of months. He had never been around someone as pleasant as Elise Zwingli and he had admired her from afar ever since he had first begun working for her brother. Being able to spend some time with her and having to look after her had been a great pleasure for him, indeed.

            There was a knock on the door and Basch gave the order for the person to come in.

            “The mail’s come, sir,” a maid said, bearing a pile of letters.

            “Thank you. Put it on my desk, please.”

            Basch began rifling through the mail as the maid dismissed herself and left the office. Emil cleared his throat.

            “Sir, do you want me to go…?”

            “Hold on a minute, if you please. I have one more task I’d like you to do before you leave for the day.”

            Basch took out a letter opener and sliced open one of the envelopes. Emil watched him as he read the letter’s contents. Suddenly, the man frowned, let out an angered grunt and crinkled up the letter in his hands. He then tossed it across the room and began furiously penning down something on a blank sheet of paper.

            Emil blinked. “Anything… the matter, Mr. Zwingli?” he asked hesitantly.

            “I’ve just received another stupid request from some complete stranger for my sister’s hand in marriage,” The man growled, angrily throwing his pen down. He sighed and passed a hand over his eyes.

            “Well, they’re not complete strangers, but they’re not anyone I know well either… My sister is already a delicate young lady. I won’t have someone I don’t know carry her off into some cold marriage!” He looked up at Emil.

            “I’d rather her marry someone I know well, and someone I can trust – someone like you, Emil.”

            “M-Me?” Emil’s eyes widened.

            “I even wouldn’t mind if you, yourself wanted to marry her…”

            Emil’s heart began racing. Was he serious? Would he really consider someone like Emil to marry Elise? The young man wasn’t sure what to say.

            “I…I…” he stammered.

            “That is, if you, well, were noble-born…”

            Emil’s excitement deflated like a balloon when it has its air let out.

            “Yes, sir,” he said.

            The man went back to his other letters and Emil did his best to conceal his disappointment. He knew it was too good to be true to hope for a chance to court the young lady.

            _It was probably a good idea that I didn’t say anything…_ he thought sadly.

            “Sir,” he said quietly.

            Basch sighed. “Yes?”

            “What was the task that you wanted me to do?” He just wanted to get whatever the man wanted him to do out of the way so he could get home.

            “Oh. Right. Sorry about that.” Basch quickly scribbled something down on a piece of paper and handed it to Emil.

            “Just fetch those things for me and then you’re free to go.”

            Emil took the list and quickly perused it. “All right,” he answered.

            He headed out of the office and down the stairs to the foyer of the house. After he slipped on a pair of boots, he went over to a closet and grabbed one of the coats.

            “You are going out?”

            He paused, his hand gripping the coat.

            _Of all the people to talk to me at this moment…_

He looked behind him and saw Elise, fully clothed, smiling at him with curiosity shining in her eyes.

            “Yes,” he answered. “Your brother wanted me to run some errands before I headed home.”

            Elise nibbled at her bottom lip and peered over her shoulder warily before whispering,

            “You don’t think… Is it possible that I could go into town with you…?”

            Emil frowned. “With that cold of yours? I don’t think so!”

            “I’m not that sick! I’ll bundle up! Promise!” She clasped her hands and looked at him wide-eyed. “ _Please,_ Emil? I’ve been cooped up in this house ever since the night of the party! I just want some fresh air!”

            “But it’s raining outside!” he objected.

            “It has stopped, actually.”

            Emil narrowed his eyes and went over to a nearby window. Sure enough, the downfall had stopped, though he did notice that the sky was still clouded over.

            “Looks like it might rain again,” he warned.

            “Well, I’ll bring an umbrella or something!” she responded.

            With a sigh, he looked back at her. Elise still was giving him a pleading look.

            “Fine,” he muttered, “but you be sure to bundle up nevertheless! I don’t want us to get in trouble with your brother!”

            She clapped her hands gleefully like a little child would and her grin was positively radiant. “I’ll go get my coat!” she chirped.

            Emil puffed his cheeks out and exhaled in exasperation. Why couldn’t he say no to her? It was going to get him into trouble one day.

 

* * *

 

            Because Elise was coming along, Emil had decided to take the small, single carriage so that she could travel into town still somewhat sheltered from the weather. Even though the rain had ceased, he didn’t want to risk anything with his companion’s health. Of course, she had not been too happy at his choice of vehicle.

            “Really, Emil?” she had exclaimed as he hitched up the horse. “Why do I have to travel into town in that?”

            “Listen, you. We’re risking enough as it is with you going outside! Either you ride in that or you stay inside!”

            She pouted and he turned away to hide his blush. Why did she have to be so pretty?

            “Fine,” he heard her say resignedly. The sound of her small umbrella closing could be heard and he dodged over to open the carriage door for her.

            “Thank you,” she said, smiling as if no argument had passed between them.

            He nodded and she got into the carriage. Pretty soon, he was in the driver’s seat and they were on their way into town.

            Elise peered out of the window of the carriage and slowly inhaled. She liked how everything smelled after it rained. She closed her eyes and relished the feel of the wind on her face, billowing through her hair. Before she knew it, they had reached the town and she felt the carriage come to a stop. She heard Emil jump down from his seat and he opened the door for her, offering his hand to help her get out.

            “I need to stop by a couple of stores to get what your brother requested,” he said. She nodded and opened up her umbrella.

            “Do you want to come with me?”

            “If you don’t mind,” she said, “I think I will stop by the fabric store. I want to knit a nice shirt for Basch!”

            Emil hid his disappointment and nodded, even though he was reluctant to lose sight of her.

            “Very well. I will come and find you, all right?”

            She nodded and he headed in the direction of the smithy’s shop. Twirling her parasol, she gingerly headed across the town’s street, doing her best to avoid puddles, and walked toward the shop with the name Angelika’s Fabrics painted on the sign. The bell hanging from the door jingled as she went in, and a young lady with long, straight hair and big, green eyes greeted Elise with a smile.

            “Good afternoon, Miss!”

            “Hello.” Elise nodded politely.

            “Do you need some help?”

            “Oh, no. I just want to look around,” she answered. “I’m thinking of making a new shirt for my brother!”

            The lady smiled. “Well, if you need help, like, in finding anything or deciding in a fabric or pattern just let me know! I’m Miss Lukasiewicz and I’m in charge of the store.”

            “Thank you,” Elise said and began looking among the shelves of colorful patterns. She could faintly hear what sounded like several looms at work from the back of the store. She could hear the sound of the wood _click clacking_ as the many machines wove the fabric and felt almost soothed by it. Perhaps it was the steady pace of it, or perhaps it was because she was actually _hearing_ real noises of something at work. Her house was always so… _quiet._

            A back door opened, and a young man with shoulder-length hair the same color as the saleslady went over to talk to her. They seemed to be speaking in a different language and Elise continued to peruse the selection of fabrics that were various bright, dark, pastel and faded colors. But she just couldn’t think of a good color to use for a shirt for Basch.

            “Excuse… excuse me,” she said, afraid to raise her voice too much. The two employees looked at her.

            “What is it, hun?” The lady asked.

            “I’d like an opinion from one of you… about a shirt for a man?”

            “Oh! I can totally help!” The fellow exclaimed brightly. He strode over to Elise and gave her a friendly smile.

            “What do ya need?” he asked.

            “Well, I want to make a shirt for my brother, but I can’t decide on the right color or pattern. Could you help me?”

            “That’s what I’m here for!” he said. “Now…” He shifted his weight onto one leg and rested his chin on his hand. “What kind of fellow is your brother?”

            “Well, he’s a general in the militia, and he’s quite serious.”

            “Hm. Got any black shirts?”

            “Quite a few,” she answered dryly.

            After almost twenty minutes of going back and forth about what color and even pattern her fabric should be, they both decided upon a nice forest green for the color. As for the pattern, Elise had decided that just a plain fabric would suit her brother’s minimal tastes best.

            “We’ll be sure to give you the length you need,” the man said as he walked over to the counter, “if you’ll give me a moment, I’ll measure it for you.”

            “Of course,” Elise said. “Thank you for helping me, sir.”

            “Call me Feliks! It was a total pleasure, my dear!”

            She gave him a kind smile, and turned to look out of the window while she waited for the fabric to be cut and wrapped for her. As she watched the people pass to and fro down the street, she thought she spotted a familiar face. She walked up to the window and her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of a young man with chestnut hair and a bright smile.

            “Is that…?” She grew excited and quickly approached the fellow named Feliks.

            “Can you hold that fabric for me, please?” she asked him. “I’ll be right back!”

            “Oh! Sure!” he said. “Name please?”

            “Elise Zwingli.”

            “Gotcha. It’ll be here on the counter,” he said with a smile.

            She darted out of the store and peered over to where she spotted the young man. She was able to get a better view of his profile and her heart skipped a beat. It was that Italian fellow from the night of the party.

            She had thought about him during those long weeks of confinement as she battled that nasty cold. She thought about his bright smile, the pleasant sound of his accented voice, the way one solitary curl always seemed to stick out of place; it all made her smile. At the recollection of his mentioning an Italian city that was entirely built upon water, she had decided that on one of the days she didn’t feel so weak, she would look the city up in one of the books in her brother’s library. Upon further research, she had discovered that the city’s name was Venice. She had thought about telling the young man about what she had read, and hoped that he could tell her more in detail. And now, it seemed that fate had given her the perfect opportunity, for there he was, just a few yards away. It made her stomach churn a little, for she had no idea when she would have been able to see him again.

            With a deep intake of breath, she began walking towards him and upon further inspection noticed that he seemed to be talking to someone: a young woman.

            Elise stopped. She twirled the handle of her umbrella. Should she go up to them? Would they be startled? They seemed so engrossed in their conversation, and Elise could tell that the girl wasn’t a noble like she was. The girl seemed to be among the working class, like Feliciano. Elise worried at her lip. After all, they probably wouldn’t understand why someone like her would want to talk to people like them, and that saddened her. She never did understand the rules of class and convention.

            A gust of wind blew at that exact moment, and her umbrella flew out of her hands and landed _right by his feet._ Elise felt mortified. Should she walk up to get it, or should she wait until he figured out whom it belonged to?

            Feliciano quickly noticed the umbrella near him and darted over to pick it up. Upon inspecting it, the girl beside him nodded in the direction of…

            “Elise…” he breathed. His eyes widened. Was it really her, standing there on the side of the street, watching him? A big smile spread over his face and he quickly bid the other girl goodbye. He then approached the young lady, who looked quite flustered.

            “It _is_ you!” he said as soon as he was close enough.

            She was smiling and her cheeks were pink.

            “Hello again… Feliciano,” she said quietly.

            “You remembered my name!” He exclaimed, though he wanted to slap himself right after he said that.

            _I sound like a complete idiot!_

Elise bashfully nodded and said, “Do you remember mine?”

            “Of course I do!” _How could I forget it?_ “It’s Elise.” His voice softened when he uttered her name. Suddenly, he realized…

            “Oh! Is this yours?” he asked, holding up the umbrella. Elise couldn’t help but giggle slightly at his abrupt change of mood.

            “Yes, yes it is. Thank you for grabbing it. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything between you and that girl…” She took the umbrella out of his hands, all the while inwardly wondering who that girl was, if she knew Feliciano well, and if they were … close.

            “Oh, no, we were just saying hello to one another and she wanted to know how Elizaveta was doing! I… I’m happy to see you…” He was beginning to feel bashful himself. The atmosphere began to turn awkward between them as they both looked away, trying to focus on something else besides each other. Elise wanted to say something, anything! Before she was able to come up with something though, Feliciano spoke up.

            “So what brings you to town?” he asked. “Did you come here by yourself?”

            She shook her head. “I actually came here with my brother’s assistant, but he had to run some errands.”

            “Would – I mean, if it’s not too much to ask – would you like to walk around the town with me?” Feliciano asked hesitantly. He didn’t want to say goodbye to her just yet.

            To his delight, Elise complied.

            “I would be delighted to,” she answered, “but I just need to fetch my purchase first.” She pointed to the fabric store.

            “I am going to make a shirt for my brother and I just bought some nice fabric for it.”

            “Well, then let’s go get it!”Feliciano exclaimed, unconsciously taking her by the hand. Elise was surprised, but she said nothing against it. His hand was warm and even though it was covered in calluses, she liked the feel of it holding hers.

            The two of them trotted up to the fabric store and Feliciano opened the door for Elise with a low bow.

            “After you, my lady!” he said, being half serious and half in jest.

            “Thank you, good sir!” she answered, acting as snooty as possible. She stuck her nose in the air, which set them both giggling. They were obviously being loud, for the lady whom Elise met earlier stared at them. Still giggling, Elise went up to the store counter and greeted the lady.

            “Hello again. I put some fabric on hold under the name Elise Zwingli.”

            The lady nodded. “Here you go.” Elise was handed a parcel with the cut and measured fabric she had picked out and she told the store owner to charge it to the Zwingli family’s accounts.

            “That looks nice!” Feliciano exclaimed as he peered into the parcel. “I like the color!”

            Miss Lukasiewicz smiled. “Feliciano! What’s a rascal like you doing with a nice lady like Miss Zwingli?” she teased.

            Feliciano’s face reddened from embarrassment. “What are you talking about? I happen to be the lady’s friend!”

            He turned to Elise with wide eyes. “Right?” he asked.

            She nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”

            “See?” He grinned. “Now if you’ll excuse us,” he said, putting on the snooty attitude this time, “we have to be going.”

            The lady rolled her eyes as they headed out of the store. “Just be careful of that one, little Miss!” she called. “He’ll charm the gold right out of your pockets!”

            Feliciano threw her a look as they left.

            “I wouldn’t do such a thing,” he muttered, standing at Elise’s side. “I won’t try to charm gold or money from you! I promise!” he cried, looking into her eyes.

            He was surprised to find that she was stifling laughter.

            “What is it?”

            She took a couple of breaths before answering. “It’s just… your face… She was obviously teasing you, Feliciano. But you looked so upset…” Elise had to pause as she continued to laugh.

            “You mean, you didn’t believe her?”

            “No. Oh, Feliciano, you’re so cute!” she continued to giggle a little while longer until the realization of what she just said sunk in.

            Did she really say that? And out loud to Feliciano’s face? She was horrified.

            “I… I mean… um…” Elise clutched her parcel in one hand and looked away. With the other hand, she covered her warming cheek. But Feliciano laid a hand on one of her shoulders and peered over to look at her reddening face.

            “Thank you,” he said sweetly. He smiled. “Why don’t we walk around the town a little bit?”

            A smile could be seen behind her hand. She nodded.

            Feliciano grinned and they both began walking around. He held her umbrella as they approached different store windows. They stared into them like little children would and even pointed sometimes. Their favorite store to look into was the bakery. The many delicacies of pastries, chocolates and candies made their mouths water.

            “We should buy something!” he said.

            “All right!”

            The two entered the shop and it didn’t take long before they both agreed on picking out small pieces of chocolate mint fudge. The only problem was that Feliciano didn’t have enough money for two pieces.

            “I could buy them if you want,” Elise offered.

            “No!” Feliciano cried. “I’m the gentleman. I shouldn’t be letting you have to worry about stuff like that!”

            Elise began giggling yet again. “I don’t mind,” she said.

            But Feliciano would not be moved. “I just don’t think it would be right,” he said sadly. “I’m sorry, Elise…”

            “How about we just share one piece!” she exclaimed brightly. Feliciano’s mood lightened quickly.

            “Si! We’ll do that!”

            And so the crisis was averted and the two of them broke the piece of fudge in half to share.

            “Where to next?” she asked as they began exiting the bakery. They stood outside under the awning.

            “Well, we could - ”

            Suddenly thunder crashed and rain began pouring down. True to Emil’s earlier concerns, the rain had returned.

            “Oh dear,” she said worriedly. “With this weather, Emil will be looking for me…”

            “Who?” Feliciano asked, suddenly quite curious (and somewhat concerned) at the sound of that masculine name.

            “The young man I came into town with… remember? He’s my brother’s assistant.”

            “O-Oh.” Feliciano began wondering who this young man was, what he looked like, and if Elise thought he was cute too.

            Suddenly he noticed that Elise seemed hesitant to walk into the rain and she held her coat close to herself. He opened her umbrella and held it up above her.

            “Why don’t we head back to the fabric shop?” he offered. “That’s probably where he’ll be looking for you, right?”

            The appreciation in her eyes made his heartbeat quicken.

            “Yes. Thank you, Feliciano,” she said quietly.

            As they began to walk out into the rain, she noticed that he was getting quite wet. The umbrella was mostly shielding her and not him.

            “Here,” she suddenly said. They stopped walking. Elise took his hand that held the umbrella and wrapped it around her shoulders. This caused him to have to stand close to her. Now his hand hung over her shoulder and they both could hold the umbrella’s handle.

            “Now we can both remain dry!” Elise said brightly.

            “Yes…” Feliciano said softly.

            That was his only response, as he was at a loss for words to say anything more. He was so close to her. He could easily wrap his other arm around her waist if he wanted to. He didn’t of course. He just lightly held her free arm by the hand. Despite her thoughtful actions to keep him dry, his back was quickly getting soaked, but that didn’t matter to him. Not when he was in such an agreeable position.

            She smelled quite nice; perhaps it was coming from her hair. Feliciano began to wonder what it would feel like between his fingers. Her hand he had held was so soft and little, and he wondered if the rest of her was just as soft…

            He mentally slapped himself. What was wrong with him? No girl had such a strong impact on him like this! Sure, he had felt slight passions before, but never to this extent! He had even begun to wonder how soft her lips would feel! And besides, she was so cute the way she giggled and just pulled his arm around her the way she did. It was hard to believe that she was among the nobles. She seemed so at ease with the lower classes: she traveled with her brother’s assistant, freely talked with the store’s owner and she was happy to spend time with him!

            Feliciano was beginning to desire more time with this girl. He had thought about her quite a bit after that night of the party. He had begun to wonder what her home life was like, how she spent her days, if she had any family and if she did things similar to Miss Edelstein. The last thing he had ever hoped to imagine, however, was that he would see her again. Thus, when he saw her coming towards him and the way she shyly glanced at him when her umbrella landed at his feet, the emotions that ran through him were almost overwhelming.

            They arrived at the fabric shop too soon for him. He was surprised to see that a small, single carriage was sitting outside the shop and coming out of the shop was a young man that Feliciano recognized to be the fellow who had called Elise back inside the night of the party. He quickly noticed the two of them and ran up, with a hood over his head.

            “Elise! Where have you been? I – I was afraid that…” He then noticed that Feliciano was standing almost behind her underneath the umbrella.

            “Hello. Who is this?”

            Deep inside, something told Feliciano that he should resent this man, but he didn’t put much thought into that… for the moment.

            “My name is Feliciano Vargas,” he offered.

            “He’s the Italian gentleman I told you about!” Elise said pleasantly.

            _So she’s talked about me…_ Things were getting better and better for the young man.

            Meanwhile, Emil did not look too impressed.

            “I see. Well, pleased to meet you, I’m sure. My name is Emil Steilsson. I hate to seem rude, but we’ve got to go. And Elise, we need to get you out of the rain!”

            She sighed good-naturedly and shook her head. “Yes, Emil,” she said.

            Emil was going to offer to take the umbrella away from the Italian, but Feliciano quickly ushered Elise to the cab’s door, continuing to keep the umbrella above her head. Emil opened the door and she quickly stepped inside the vehicle.

            “Good grief, you two! Stop surrounding me! Feliciano, you don’t know any better, but Emil, you know I don’t need to be babied _that_ much!”

            Emil nodded. “Sorry. All right, I guess we’ll head out then.”

            He turned to Feliciano and bowed his head. “Pleasure to meet you.”

            Feliciano returned the sentiment, though no real feeling of camaraderie passed between them.

            “Travel safely,” he said.

            As Emil hopped onto the driver’s seat and began readying the horse, Feliciano peered into the window to bid farewell to Elise.

            “You’re positively soaked!” she exclaimed. “Do you want my umbrella?”

            He shook his head. “No, no. Wouldn’t want you catching cold!”

            She looked concerned. “I don’t want you to catch one either!”

            He grinned. “I’ll be fine, Elise. I have a good immune system!”

            The carriage began moving and Elise quickly stuck her head out a little to get closer to him.

            “Take care, Feliciano!”

            “You too, Elise. Will…” He began walking faster so as not to be left behind as the carriage began moving.

            “Will I see you again?”

            Elise looked troubled. “Maybe…” was all she could say. She honestly didn’t know. It all depended on whether her brother wanted to visit Mr. Edelstein or vice versa.

            “I hope so!” Feliciano said as the carriage got away from him. He stood there, getting wetter by the minute, just watching the carriage head out of town. He saw Elise peer out the window in the rain and wave her hand. He waved back.

            “I hope so, _la mia ragazza bella…_ ”

            Meanwhile, Elise sat in the carriage, smiling and quietly laughing. She didn’t quite understand the feelings that were beginning to take over her emotions, but she did know that nothing would make her happier than to see that young Italian man again…


	4. Questions

               “A – ACHOO!”

               “ _Gesundheit!”_ Ludwig laughed. He turned to look at his friend, who was propped up against a tree trunk. Upon further inspection, he noticed that the Italian man had begun sketching something upon a pad of paper that was resting against his legs.

               “Are you coming down with a cold, Feliciano?” Ludwig turned away to load his gun.

               His companion swiped a hand under his nose and sniffed loudly.

               “I guess so.” He smiled to himself. It turned out that Elise had been justified in her fears. He wasn’t worried, though. Colds weren’t much of a problem for Feliciano. He had a strong constitution.

               A gunshot thundered through the trees that spread out over the acres of the Beilschmidt estate. Soon after the firing was heard, the elder of the two brothers came crashing out of the forest, his hunting dogs following after him.

               “Brother! Oi!”

               “ _Ja!_ Right over here!”

               Gilbert strode up to the other two men and held his game aloft.

               “Caught some pheasant!” he said. He shouldered his gun.

               “Ah, very good. I’m glad you were able to actually shoot something this time,” Ludwig answered. His voice was as serious as it was prone to be, but there was a twinkle in his eye that indicated his sarcasm. Feliciano soon noticed it and hid his snickers behind his sketchbook.

               “What do you mean _this_ time?” Gilbert demanded.

               “Nothing, Gil. Nothing.”

               “Do you doubt my awesome hunting skills?!”

               “Of course not.”

               “Do not forget: _I_ am the one who taught _you_ how to shoot a gun in the first place – _West.”_

Feliciano saw Ludwig roll his eyes. “ _Ja, ja._ In that case, could I maybe take a shot now?”

               Gilbert shrugged. “Go right ahead. See if you can do as awesome as me.”

               “Right. I only hope you didn’t scare everything away…” Ludwig muttered under his breath.

               “You know, I heard that.”

               Ludwig had a small smile on his face as he clapped his brother on the shoulder and whistled to his dogs that had taken a short rest beside Feliciano. Upon hearing their master’s call, however, they quickly leapt up and followed him. It wasn’t until after Ludwig had walked off that Gilbert seemed to notice Feliciano for the first time.

               “You’re not shooting?” he queried.

               Feliciano looked up from his sketching and shrugged.

               “I don’t really like guns much,” he admitted. “Too scared to handle one. I’m afraid I’d shoot myself!”

               Feliciano chuckled sheepishly and Gilbert laughed in return. He could easily believe that Feliciano was scared of guns. He didn’t exactly seem to be the strongest of men.

               Ludwig’s dogs could be heard barking in the distance and Gilbert peered into the trees. Suddenly he spoke.

               “So…” he hesitated. “How is everyone at cousin Roderich’s house?”

               Feliciano glanced up at him.

               “What?”

               “I mean…” The man cleared his throat. “Eliza – I mean, Miss Héderváry… Is she doing all right?”

               Feliciano shrugged. “She’s the same as ever, I guess. Truth be told, it’s her brother we’re worried about.”

               This seemed to interest Gilbert.

               “Dániel? Why?"

               “He’s got his heart fixed on this lady – a nun, I believe. Elizaveta keeps telling him it’s pointless to pursue her, but…” He sighed. “I guess he loves her too much to give her up. It’s sad, really.”

               Gilbert looked away and slightly frowned.

               “Yes. It is sad,” he muttered.

               Feliciano looked up into the tree tops and began to wonder…

               What was Dániel going to do?

**. . . .**

               The man in question was beginning to wonder that himself. He stood in the town square, waiting for the next person that wanted their shoes polished and cleaned. Dániel frowned. He didn’t need to do this - this menial task that paid very little - when he had another job, a place to sleep and food to eat, so why in the world had he agreed to do this and carry the burden of two jobs?

               A quick glance to his right gave him his answer. The small German woman clad in a black habit with strands of ashen-blonde hair sticking out of her headdress was coming his way. It was a good idea to set up business in front of the General Store, he decided.

               Maria Beilschmidt held a basket under her arm, most likely for carrying home groceries, and she didn’t notice Dániel sitting there under the awning at first.

               “I suppose it’s no use asking if you need you shoes polished.” He ventured to speak.

               The lady started and stared wide-eyed down at the man.

               “What are you doing here?” she demanded.

               “What does it look like? I’m a shoe polisher in my spare time.”

               Her jaw clenched and she spoke through gritted teeth, as if under extreme duress.

               “Why do you continue to follow me? I thought I told you I don’t wish to see you anymore.”

               Dániel stood.

               “And I want to know why,” he answered. “There was once a time, I think, when you wouldn’t have minded half as much.”

               She looked away.

               “I don’t see why it’s any of your business.”

               “Maria… Surely you must know… You must know how I feel about -”

               “I don’t want to hear it!” She frantically cried, clutching her basket to herself as if using it as a shield against him. The two of them just stared at each other; Maria desperately and Dániel hurt and confusedly.

               “I – I need to buy some things for the Abbess,” she said quickly. “Please just let me go.”

               Before she could walk inside the store, however, Dániel gently took hold of her arm.

               “Please, Maria. I’m just worried about you. Won’t you tell me if something happened?”

               She paused and it seemed that she was just going to brush him off again, but instead, she laid her hand upon his.

               “Perhaps I will tell you… but not now.”

               “But one day you will?” he urged.

               Maria nodded. “Yes, I promise. Just leave me alone for right now though. Please?”

               Dániel agreed and reluctantly let her go.

               “I will be here, Maria. Every day. I just want to see you.”

               She looked at him for a minute. There seemed to be sadness and – longing perhaps – in her eyes. But that was only for a moment and then she hurriedly entered the store. She was in there for precisely twenty minutes (Dániel counted) and then she left. She didn’t say one more word to the man who continued to sit there – shining shoes when asked – and who watched her intently until she passed a corner and out of his sight.

 

* * *

 

               “Will you not be missed if you stay here for too long, Feliciano?” Ludwig queried as the three men headed back to the Beilschmidt house.

               “Elizaveta knows. We did most of the day’s work before I left. Today was silver-shining day and she said I wasn’t needed as much.”

               “Well, that’s fortunate. Say, perhaps you could teach us that Scopa game you talked about at Cousin Roderich’s house?”

               Feliciano eagerly nodded.  “Sure!” He said as they answered the house through the kitchen. Gilbert’s pheasants were given to the cook as were Ludwig’s hares and his big catch: a young buck.

               “No deer this time, Master Beilschmidt?” The woman teasingly looked at the older brother.              

               “Afraid not, Cook,” Ludwig said. A small smirk was on his face.

               “Yeah, well, you just got lucky _West,”_ Gilbert muttered. “I’ll bag one next time.”

               “Of course you will,” the servant said reassuringly.

               Gilbert grinned and strutted out of the kitchen. Even the smallest of praise could raise his spirits.

               “Eventually…” the lady finished under her breath. She winked at Feliciano and the two snickered. After all, fellow servants always shared little jokes together.

               He then followed Ludwig out of the kitchen and into a smaller room where the men relaxed by smoking, playing such games as chess and cards, or just sitting by the fire sipping a glass of brandy. They never went into the parlor. It was far too dainty a place for such fellows as the German brothers, not to mention their father Lord Beilschmidt. Feliciano was glad of this. He didn’t feel that it would be proper for a person like him to be in there. He still held his sketchbook under his arm and set it down beside him at a card table as he pulled out a pack of cards from his pocket. Ludwig sat across from him.

               “Brandy?” Gilbert asked, a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

               “None for me thanks.”

               “Me neither. Not now, anyways.”

               Gilbert scoffed and watched as Feliciano dealt out the cards. He then eyed the sketchbook.

               “Pretty face. Where have I seen that face before?” he exclaimed.

               Feliciano practically yelped and lunged for the sketchbook. What an idiot he was! He hadn’t wanted people see his handiwork, especially when it was sketches of certain people!

               Ludwig grabbed it before his friend could stow it away. He analyzed the drawing and his eyebrow quirked.

               “Miss Zwingli?” he shot a questioning look at Feliciano.

               “Oh yeah! I knew I’d seen that face before!” Gilbert stood behind his brother and peered at the picture further.

               “You’ve captured her almost perfectly! She looks real cute here.”

               “Yes… I agree…” Ludwig muttered.

               Feliciano didn’t know how to respond. What could he say that he admired the young lady? That she was one of the prettiest and sweetest of ladies he knew and that if he only had the right amount of wealth and connections…  No. the brothers wouldn’t accept it. Even Ludwig, while being his friend, would still not deem this infatuation to be wise, especially considering Elise’s brother. He had only briefly met that man once at the party, but he had heard enough about Basch Zwingli to make him quake in his boots. The man could beat up Gilbert Beilschmidt! That was enough to be frightened about in Feliciano’s book.

               Ludwig looked like he was about to say something when there came a knock on the door.

               “Come in!” Gilbert said.

               A servant stepped inside.

               “Excuse me, sirs, but there is a young man who wishes to speak to you, Master Beilschmidt.”

               “The devil you say!” Gilbert exclaimed. “Who is he?”

               “Some Hungarian fellow. He claims to know you, Sir.”

               Both Gilbert and Ludwig frowned a little and Feliciano couldn’t help but feel curious.

               “Very well, I will come. Show me where he is.”

               As Gilbert exited the room, Ludwig frowned and looked at the cards on the table.

               “I wonder what Dániel wants…” he murmured.

               “Your guess is as good as mine,” Feliciano replied.  He held out his hand for Ludwig to return his sketchbook to him.

               “You’re not in love with Miss Zwingli, are you?” Ludwig asked. He continued to hold the sketchbook.

               Suddenly, Feliciano felt a little … upset – and he _never_ got upset with his friend!

               _But honestly,_ he thought, _what’s it to him? Why should he care? Unless he has feelings for the lady himself?!_

“No,” he finally said. “I just admire her beauty is all.”

               “I only ask because I don’t want you to have false hopes,” Ludwig said as if he knew what Felciiano really wanted to say.

               “You know how Basch Zwingli can be concerning his sister.”

               Feliciano nodded.

               “Plus, she is … I mean … The two of you aren’t exactly…” He hesitated, but Feliciano understood him perfectly. Basch Zwingli would never allow his sister to start a relationship with the help. Feliciano, a servant, wouldn’t be proper company for someone like Elise. Servants should mingle with the servants and the upper class with the upper class. It had been like that in Italy; of course it was like that here.

               Even so, that didn’t mean Feliciano had to like it. When the clock struck the hour, he looked at the door.

               “I should probably head back now,” he murmured.

               “I didn’t mean to upset you or anything,” Ludwig said seriously.

               Feliciano did his best to work up a smile.

               “Oh, I know. I guess I should thank you really... I would probably get in trouble for forgetting my place, right?”

               Ludwig shrugged. “Well, maybe, and we wouldn’t want anything like that to happen,” he said.

               Feliciano nodded. “I really think I should leave now, though.”

               “All right. Do you know the way back?”

               “Yes. I’ll be fine,” Feliciano said quickly, in a voice that was slightly forced to sound happy. He stood and told Ludwig he could keep the cards for future games. Then he quickly made his exit and Ludwig just watched him. A hint of concern was on his stern face.

               Feliciano made his way toward the back of the house and left via the kitchen. He figured that would be the most suitable place for someone like him to exit. After all, he had to remember his place. Yes, his thoughts were petty and childishly resentful, but he didn’t care. He felt like being childish and resentful at the moment. No one was around to notice anyway.

               _I suppose I shouldn’t be feeling this way, but, I mean, really! Would it really be that big of a deal if I did have affections for the lady? I’m not hurting anyone by it, am I?_

He was too busy pouting to himself that he didn’t spot the form of a man in front of his way before he rammed into him.

               “Ach!” Feliciano exclaimed. “I’m so sorry sir! Please don’t -!”

               He stopped cowering when he saw that it was just Dániel who stood in his way. Feliciano sighed in relief.

               “Watch yourself, little man!” The Hungarian joked, though his features didn’t look jovial.

               “Sorry again, Dániel! I heard you were here! What brings you?”

               The two began to walk together, heading back to the Edelstein estate, which wasn’t too far away. Dániel did not answer Feliciano’s question straight away.

               “I came to fetch you…” he said after a while. “But also, I had to speak to Gilbert Beilschmidt.”

               “Oh.”

               Feliciano didn’t know what else to say. He figured it had to do with that lady in the convent, but he didn’t ask any questions. He felt that it wasn’t any of his business.

               The walk back was a quiet one as both fellows had their own thoughts to mull over. Feliciano was inwardly pondering about his previous discussion with Ludwig.

               _“You’re not in love with Miss Zwingli, are you?”_

The question continued to spin around in the young man’s head. Was he in love?

               _I am infatuated with her, that’s for sure,_ he thought. But whether he was in love with her or not remained to be seen. He’d had such feelings and affairs with other young ladies before.

               As for Dániel, he couldn’t help but think back to what he had just discussed with the eldest Beilschmidt son.

**. . . . **

               “It has been a while, hasn’t it, Dániel?” Gilbert had said quietly. The two of them were seated in Lord Beilschmidt’s study. A quite impressive portrait of the entire Beilschmidt family hung over the grand mantelpiece and Dániel studied it thoughtfully.

               “It has,” he finally answered.

               “Hmm…” Gilbert rested his chin on his hands as he leaned on his father’s desk. The young man was beginning to resemble his father more and more as each year passed.

               “Your sister – Maria – looks so young there. I remember…”

               Dániel cleared his throat and looked down at the rug.

               “What brings you here, Dániel?” Gilbert asked. He didn’t look at the portrait once. He had no desire to.

               “Are your parents away?” Dániel suddenly inquired. He looked toward the door as if expecting Lord and Lady Beilschmidt to walk through the door at any moment.

               “They are abroad at the moment, yes. They won’t be back until late autumn. Now, are you going to explain why you wanted to see me?”

               The Hungarian folded his hands, separated them and folded them again.

               “I just wanted to ask… if you knew what happened with Maria.”

               “What do you mean?”

               “Why the sudden decision to take the vows and spend the rest of her life in seclusion? Why didn’t she tell… why didn’t she speak of it?”

               He stopped as Gilbert had started to frown at him.

               “I just… I want to know… I – I can’t help but worry.”

               “You have no need to worry,” Gilbert said dismissively. “She made her decision and what’s done is done.”

               “I just ask because-”

               “I don’t want to hear it, Sir.” Gilbert slammed his hand down flat on the desk. His reddish-violet eyes flashed.

               “Why should my sister’s actions concern you? Just because we played together as children doesn’t mean you get free access into my family’s private life.”

               Dániel was beginning to get angry now.

               “I hadn’t realized my selfless concern for Maria’s well-being would be so offensive to you,” he said in a low voice.

               “It isn’t the fact that you’re concerned that bothers me. It’s _why_ you are concerned.”

               “What do you--”

               “I know that your feelings for Maria are more than platonic, and frankly, Dániel, I cannot say that I can support them.”

               Dániel took a deep breath before responding.

               “I had no idea that you were so opposed to me, Gilbert, especially considering the fact that _my_ sister is so--”

               “It’s not up to me,” Gilbert said quickly. The hardness in his eyes had softened somewhat. He now looked a little pensive; sad even.

               Dániel looked confused and Gilbert looked away.

               “Is this all you came here for?” he asked after a minute.

               Dániel sighed. “Yes. I suppose you can’t or won’t tell me what happened with Maria?”

               “No.” Gilbert shook his head. “If you want to know, you’ll have to ask her. I’m – I’m sorry. I’m afraid I lost my temper.”

               Dániel didn’t respond to this apology and he left shortly thereafter, still with no answer and feeling even more confused than before. Meanwhile, Gilbert remained in the study, just pensively staring down at the wooden desk. Then suddenly, he lifted his head and actually looked up at the portrait above the mantelpiece. His eyes scanned the artwork and they narrowed when his glance fell upon the painted figure of a tall, young lady that looked a little older than both Maria and Ludwig. She stood behind the seated figure of Lady Beilschmidt and had golden hair and big, blue eyes that were even bluer than Ludwig’s. While Maria smiled with a cheerful and boisterous grin, this young lady had a smaller, more serene smile that hinted at a quieter and thoughtful disposition.

               Gilbert clenched his teeth at this girl’s picture and quickly stood up and backed away from those wide, blue eyes that seemed to constantly watch him. He then quickly left the study, muttering curses all the while.

 

* * *

“So you actually talked to Gilbert, hmm?” Elizaveta said quietly as she chopped up vegetables. Dániel leaned against the counter beside her, munching thoughtfully on a carrot.

               “Yes.”

               His sister sighed. “And let me guess, he didn’t tell you anything, did he?”

               He paused a moment before answering, “No.”

               “That’s what I figured.”

               Elizaveta was finished chopping the vegetables and dumped them into a pot full of broth.

               “She did say that she would talk to me, though,” Dániel said feebly. “She said she would when she was ready.”

               “And who knows how long that will be! You know how that family is. It takes them forever to tell you what they’re feeling!” She tossed the chopping knife into the sink. “And their cousin is the exact same way!” She angrily muttered.

               “It’s all I’ve got to go on,” Dániel said. “I’ll give her time. We were close as children. I know she’ll open up to me eventually.”

               Elizaveta shook her head. “Doing that stupid shoe polishing job all the while? You’ll work yourself to death what with that and the work you do here.”

               Dániel smiled. His sister was worried about him, and he was touched. He leaned in and kissed the top of her head.

               “Don’t fret, my dear. I’ll be fine.”

               She just sighed and patted his back. Then, after looking around the kitchen, suddenly asked,

               “Have you seen Feliciano?”

               Her brother just shrugged. “He went upstairs after we got back. I haven’t seen him since.”

               “Is he all right?” Elizaveta asked, a bit concernedly.

               “I think so. He was quiet as we headed home. Do you want me to go check on him?”

               “No,” Elizaveta said. “I’ll go see him. It’s almost time for supper, so I’ll go tell him. Could you watch the stew until I get back?”

               He complied and Elizaveta headed up the back stairs. She entered the servants’ quarters and walked up to Feliciano’s door.

               “Feliciano?” she called as she knocked. “Are you in there?”

               “Yes. You can come in,” he answered.

               Upon opening his door, Elizaveta saw Feliciano sitting by his window, staring out at the tree branches. A sketchbook was in his hand and he seemed to be drawing something.

               “Supper’s almost ready,” she said.

               He nodded and Elizaveta frowned at his lack of enthusiasm.

               “Are you going to come down?”

               Feliciano looked away from the window and shrugged.

               “If it’s all the same to you, Elizaveta, I think I’ll just stay here. I’m not really hungry.”

               “What?!” she exclaimed. Elizaveta strode over to his side and laid her hand on his forehead.

               “Well, you don’t have a fever…” she said thoughtfully. “But… Feliciano, are you all right?”

               He had a wide smile on his face. “Of course I am! Why shouldn’t I be?”

               But Elizaveta wasn’t fooled. She frowned at him and placed her fists on her hips.

               “Feliciano Vargas, in all the time I’ve known you, I’ve learned to spot when you are lying. That big smile of yours doesn’t fool me. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”

               He didn’t speak for a moment, but then he sighed and lowered the sketchbook.

               “There’s someone that I … am very fond of…”

               Elizaveta’s eyes widened. “Is it a girl?”

               He looked away, feeling uncomfortable. “Y-yes…”

               She grinned. “I knew it!”

               “Knew what?”

               “The way you’ve been acting these past couple of weeks, you’ve been mooning about and sighing a lot. You’ve also been sketching more than usual. Plus, you haven’t been as hungry as you usually are!” Elizaveta giggled, ruffling his hair.

               “You love someone, don’t you?”

               His eyes widened. “Oh no! No, I don’t know that yet!”

               “Oh. Well, anyway, you like someone well enough. So what’s wrong? Does she not know?” Elizaveta gasped. “Or perhaps she doesn’t return your affections?” She looked upon the Italian with sympathy.

               “No… it’s just… I don’t think I’m good enough for her…” Feliciano bowed his head sadly and Elizaveta began to frown.

               “Did this girl make you feel that way?”

               “No, but… she’s from a well-to-do family… and I don’t think others would approve of me.”

               “Well, what does she think?”

               Feliciano seemed unable to answer that question.

               “I don’t know. She seems to like me… She even called me cute at one point!” He smiled fondly at that memory.

               “Well, then who cares what other people think!” Elizaveta said firmly. “It doesn’t matter if they say you’re too poor or too simple! As long as he – I mean, as long as the girl thinks you’re good enough, than you don’t need to listen to what everyone else says!”

               Elizaveta’s cheeks were red at her slipup. _I can’t believe I almost…_ She swallowed hard and worked up a smile of her own.

               “Just don’t worry too much about it, Feli,” she said, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.

               “If you two like each other, then nothing else matters.”

               Feliciano thought about that for a moment. Then he gave Elizaveta a genuine smile.

               “You’re right, Elizaveta. Maybe I’ll talk to her about this,” he said.

               She nodded. “You should! And who knows? Maybe if you two like each other enough, you might find yourselves falling in love!”

               His face reddened. “I-I don’t know about that… We barely know each other…”

               “Well, it’s like my old _nagyapa_ used to say, ‘You never know what tomorrow will bring’! Now, come on, Feli. You should eat something.”

               Feliciano sighed and stood up, a small smile still on his face. “All right. I guess I could eat a _little_ something.”

               “That’s the spirit!” she exclaimed. She took his hand and they walked out of his room, heading down to the kitchen.

               “And don’t worry about the girl. I’m sure something good will happen for you two.”

               Feliciano felt comforted by Elizaveta’s words. He still wasn’t sure if he loved Elise or not, but he did agree with Elizaveta. Just because he was lower than Elise didn’t mean he couldn’t at least be her friend. And plus, she didn’t seem to mind that he was a servant. She seemed to like him despite that.

               _The next time I see her, maybe we can talk about this…_ he thought.

               Meanwhile, Elizaveta, while feeling happy for Feliciano, also felt a little concerned. She felt that she had been mixing her own problems with his. She had practically almost given away the most important thing she was supposed to keep quiet, for Heaven’s sake; just because Feliciano’s predicament was so similar to her own.

               She squared her shoulders. No one needed to know about her own relationship problems, and she wasn’t about to tell anyone about them, not even Feliciano. As far as she knew, only Dániel knew about what was going on, and she was determined to keep it that way.


	5. Hidden Emotions

               Basch Zwingli was in quite a pensive state on one warm afternoon a couple of weeks after Miss Edelstein’s birthday celebration. It was a tendency of his. As a result of such a mood, he had just wanted some time alone to think, away from the worries of running a house and the pressures of serving in the militia. So, he had taken his horse and ridden through the acres of land that lay between his house and the Edelstein’s manor. At the moment, his horse was off grazing and he was merely walking around amidst the trees.

               His thoughts were mainly on his sister. When she had caught a cold from the night of the party, his anxiety had skyrocketed. It didn’t help that he had been called away on other matters a day later and had been unable to attend to her, leaving her in the care of his manservant Emil instead. Elise’s health was so delicate, a mere cold could turn into something far worse.

He could remember several years ago, when they lived in the city, how she had caught influenza that had been traveling around the town. It had been the worse four weeks he had experienced off the battlefield. The doctors had told him that the only way she would recover was to take Elise out of the city and to the country, so Basch had decided he would join the militia stationed there and he moved the entirety of his household down there. Elise’s health had improved and they had been in the country ever since.

               But he was still afraid, afraid that she would fall ill again. What would happen then? Basch grunted and shook his head. It would be better not to dwell on such thoughts, he said to himself.

               “Basch Zwingli!”

               Surprised, the man turned to the left to see two figures following after him. His eyes widened upon noticing that one of them was Anneliese Edelstein. Years of military training forced him to stiffen his stance and fold his hands behind him whenever faced with something that made him nervous. And being in Anneliese Edelstein’s company for too long certainly made him nervous.

               She came up to him, all smiles and serenity, holding a parasol in one hand and the skirts of her dress in the other. Basch had to clear his throat.

               “Good day, Miss Edelstein.”

               “Good day, yourself,” she answered quietly. “I am happy to see you again. It has been a while, it seems.”

               “Well, we saw each other at the party of yours...” He countered, ignoring the pleasant sensations he inwardly felt at her concern.

               She rolled her eyes. “Yes. _Saw_ is exactly right, for I hardly got to talk to you.”

               He cleared his throat again.

               “Well…”

               “Oh! And how is Elise?” she asked. “My brother told me she was sick! I hope she is doing all right. I’d like to thank her for this lovely shawl she made for me!”

               Anneliese scooped her hair up, turned and showed Basch a finely-knitted shawl that fell down her back.

               “She would be happy to know that you like it. She worked very hard on it.” He smiled at the thought of his sister productively sewing away. He also had to inwardly admit that Anneliese wore it charmingly – but of course, she wore anything well.

               It wasn’t until after a few minutes later that he realized Anneliese was watching him, and she had a smile on her face. He immediately bottled up any excess of emotion.

               “What are you smiling for?” He asked in his short, clipped manner. He knew it was particularly rude to speak to a lady like that, but he had been caught off guard. Why did she make him so nervous?

               “I was just thinking...” She said slowly.

               “Yes?”

               “…That you should smile more often, Basch,” she answered.

               He tightened his grip on his hands and closed his eyes for a minute. He hadn’t realized she liked such a small thing about him.

               “What brings you around these parts, Miss Edelstein?” He tried to change the subject.

               She continued to smile at him as she answered, “I was just heading back from a visit. Feliciano and I were taking a walk for a minute – oh! Speaking of which…”

               She turned around and called to a young man who was looking at a small patch of wild flowers. The fellow jumped up from his crouched position and approached them.

               “Yes, Mistress?” He asked politely, in an accented voice.

               “This is a good friend of mine. Say hello to Mr. Zwingli, Feliciano,” the lady said brightly.

               Basch eyed the young man. Italian. Most definitely the fellow was Italian. Besides his accent, he had that carefree ease about him that Basch had seen in many of those people when he had been stationed in Italy.

               The young man gave an open and perhaps a bit of a nervous smile and bowed. “It is an honor, Sir,” Feliciano said politely and with a degree of charm.

               His mannerisms, however, only made Basch more suspicious of him. Where had he seen that face before?

               “He works for you, Miss Edelstein?” He asked.

               “But of course! Feliciano has been one of our diligent workers for a few years now.”

               That’s when it hit him. This was the fellow he had seen gandering at his sister at the night of the party, just before they were about to leave! Basch narrowed his eyes. No wonder Elise had been so curious about Italy as of late…

               “I see,” he said sternly. His attitude became militaristic. “Let me look at you, boy.”

               Feliciano’s eyes widened and he subconsciously stood straighter.

               “Tell me, Feliciano. You’re from Italy, are you not?”

               “Yes Sir.”

               “From what part?”

               “Florence, Sir.”

               Well, that was certainly something. Basch continued his strict mannerisms, however.

               “Basch, what is the meaning of this?” Anneliese inquired good-naturedly.

               “I’m just making sure you have a good worker, Anneliese,” he replied.

               She looked at him and smiled again. He had apparently forgotten about using her surname.

               “If you say so.”

               Basch nodded and looked at Feliciano again.

               “And do you have family in Florence?” he inquired.

               “Well, yes. I have a brother and a grandfather.”

               “What is your family’s last name?”

               “Vargas, Sir.”

               He didn’t recognize the name from anywhere. That wasn’t a good sign.

               “And are they well-to-do? Does your family have any sort of fortune?” Basch pressed.

               Feliciano’s eyes widened and then he nervously turned away. “I-I think there has been some sort of mistake, Sir…” he stammered, worry now coating his words.

               The three were quiet. After a minute, Basch took his eyes off of Feliciano and focused back on Anneliese. It was obvious the man was as poor as he seemed.

               “Yes. Perhaps you are right...” He murmured. _No matter,_ he told himself. _I don’t think I have to worry about this fellow. Even if he is the one who was gawking at my sister, it’s not likely they’ll meet again._

As the two nobles continued talking, Feliciano heaved a sigh and nervously walked away. Did Basch Zwingli have any suspicions about him? Had he recognized him from the party? Or perhaps Elise had told him about the afternoon they spent together on the town? He had asked him whether or not he had fortune or rich family. Was he suspicious that Feliciano could be interested in Elise?

               He shivered. The last thing he wanted was an angry soldier hunting him down because of a little fling with a girl he wasn’t sure he even was in love with. Elise was charming and he enjoyed her company, yes, but he wasn’t sure whether trying to pursue a friendship or any kind of relationship with her was worth risking this man’s wrath.

               “Feliciano!” Anneliese called. His ears perked.

               “ _Sí!_ I...I mean, yes, Miss!” He answered, running back to her.

               “There you are! You keep running off!” She teasingly ruffled his hair as a big sister would. He laughed, embarrassed, and apologized. He tried not to look at Mr. Zwingli.

               “It is decided. My brother and I shall pay you and your sister a visit!” She said, seemingly continuing her conversation with Basch.

               “There’s no need to – ”

               “I insist! Your sister is unwell and I want to pay her a visit! Besides, I will get to tell her thank you in person that way!” She beamed.

               Basch opened his mouth to protest, but just sighed and bowed his head instead. He had known Roderich and Anneliese ever since he and his sister had moved down to the countryside. He knew well enough that when Anneliese Edelstein wanted something, she didn’t take no for an answer.

               “Very well. Shall we expect you tomorrow then?”

               The lady pleasantly replied in the affirmative. “Most certainly. Roderich and I will stop in around noon. Will that be all right?”

               “I should think so,” Basch answered. “I will tell Elise. She will probably look forward to your visit. She hasn’t seen very many visitors since she fell ill.”

               Feliciano looked away, pretending to admire the scenery. He knew otherwise. After all, just this past week, she had been out about town…with him.

               “Oh dear. Then I will perhaps bring something to cheer her up! Does she like to do other things that are artistic? I know she can sew…”

               Basch shrugged. “She sketches every now and then…”

               Feliciano’s ears perked up at that. Elise liked to draw? He inwardly became excited.

               “Wonderful! Then I will see if we can bring an easel and some charcoals and we’ll have a splendid time of it!”

               Basch bowed his head again. “I will tell her.”

               Anneliese twirled her parasol and gave him a charming smile. “Come, Feliciano! We have to get back to the house at once and tell my brother of this!”

               The Italian came out of his reverie and exclaimed, “Very well, Miss!”

               “Goodbye for now, Basch!” Anneliese said, holding her hand out for the man to take.

               Basch held it for a minute, but then became nervous again. He cleared his throat and nodded, dropping her hand. “Yes, well… See you tomorrow, I suppose.”

               She gave him another one of those smiles and both she and Feliciano headed off down the trail, back to where the Edelstein carriage was waiting.

               Basch Zwingli was left alone again with his thoughts, only this time he was trying to get the image of lovely violet eyes and a pretty smile out of his head.

 

* * *

 

               “We are going to visit the Zwinglis?” Roderich queried as he seated himself at a table near his sister in the parlor.

               “That’s right!” She said happily. She allowed Feliciano to take her shawl away as she continued talking to Roderich. “I thought it would be nice, seeing as how little Elise is still recovering from her cold. And we never visit them! It’s a shame.”

               “You know that fellow dislikes my playing…” Roderich said with a bit of a frown. “We never can seem to agree on anything.”

               “Oh don’t worry, brother dearest. The two of you can go out shooting and then you’ll have something to preoccupy your minds with besides talking to one another.”

               Her brother scoffed as he focused on his notebook of compositions. “I don’t like shooting.”

               Anneliese giggled. “Well then you both can play chess. That’s something you don’t mind doing.”

               “I suppose so…” The man sighed as he glanced at his sister. He began to wonder if she was doing more than paying Elise a visit with this agenda…

               Meanwhile, Feliciano was carrying Anneliese’s shawl back to the lady’s room. When he arrived at his destination, he merely took the time to study the piece of fabric. It was a lovely lavender, intricately designed with finely woven flowers sewn into the pattern. He smiled. It must have taken its creator hours to make. It showed that she must have been a very dedicated and precise sort of person.

               Feliciano thought about the fact that he was holding something Elise Zwingli probably had kept close to her for many days on end and it warmed his heart. Then the realization that she was also fond of sketching made his smile widen. They had something in common. He began to wonder how good an artist she was. Maybe one day, he’d be able to see her actually draw or paint something…

               “Feliciano!” The sound of Elizaveta calling for him woke him up from his daydreaming and he quickly but carefully draped the shawl over the little settee near Anneliese’s bed.

               “Coming!” He called from a door in the room that led down to the kitchen. He quickly galloped down the stairs to see what Elizaveta wanted.

               It turned out it was more chores that needed done. This time, he had to do laundry. As he hesitantly began adding soap and other cleaning ingredients into the big tub of boiling hot water, his thoughts drifted back to Elise. Despite his doubt about his feelings towards the girl, he wondered what she was doing and if she was all right. He had overheard that she had been unwell, which was surprising considering she had gone out that one day. An alarming thought came to him: perhaps she had grown worse from being out that day when it had begun to rain? As he took the long wooden paddle and began turning the dirty clothes around in the soapy water, he worriedly wondered if she was any better. He hoped she wasn’t worse. Even he had gotten a cold from that day, he could only imagine what might have happened to her…

               _I wish I could find out how she’s doing…_ he thought, all concerns about Basch Zwingli and his suspicions momentarily forgotten, as he jerked his hand back from the hot copper boiler. Another blister. He’d have to be more careful…

               As he grunted and groaned, scrubbing the clothes over a washboard in a separate tub of warm water, an idea came to him. _Maybe I could try to accompany Mr. Edelstein and Anneliese tomorrow! That way, at least I’d get a glimpse of her and see how she is…_

He smiled to himself. It was a brilliant idea. Who knows? They might even get to see each other close up! He could even perhaps possibly say hello to her! All he needed was to offer his services to Anneliese and he’d be good to go. She was fond of him, he was sure she’d take him with her.

               When Elizaveta had the food ready to serve, he offered to help take it out to the brother and sister in the hopes he would hear them talking about their visit to the Zwinglis and perhaps make a passing offer to accompany them. It was worth a try, he thought. Right?


	6. Painting

               “And just where do you think you’re going?” Elizaveta demanded as she spotted Feliciano bounding past the laundry room and towards the kitchen. He was wearing his coat and had his nicer pair of trousers and boots on.

               The young Italian backtracked to the doorway of the laundry room where she was folding the laundry. “Don’t you remember? I’m accompanying the Mr. and Miss Edelstein on their outing!” He grinned.

               “Oh yes… I suppose it slipped my mind.” She wondered why he was so excited about it – or why he wanted to go in the first place.

               “Well, I need to get the horse hitched to the carriage, so I must go! _Arrivederci!”_  He waved to her and left to go out to the stables.

               “Be careful and mind the horse!” She called, though she didn’t think he heard her.

               Feliciano thought he heard Elizaveta say something, but he didn’t really pay attention. He was too excited. He could hardly believe Roderich had agreed to Feliciano being the one that would drive the carriage to the Zwingli house! If it had been considered proper, he would have kissed Anneliese Edelstein’s hand, for she had been the one who had convinced her brother to let Feliciano come along the previous evening…

               _Feliciano helped Roderich’s manservant serve the brother and sister their dinner as the Edelsteins talked about their visit to the Zwinglis._

_“I told Captain Zwingli we would arrive around noon, so we should probably leave at a quarter past,” Anneliese said as she sipped her wine._

_“Very well,” Roderich replied. “I will have Dániel prepare the carriage around eleven.”_

_Feliciano felt a bit nervous, but he knew if he was going to be able to go to the Zwingli house without intruding, this would be his best option and he would have to speak now._

_“Er, ah, **mi scusi…** ” He winced as he had been so nervous, he had reverted to speaking in Italian._

_Roderich blinked. “Yes, Feliciano?” he looked rather surprised to hear him speak._

_“Um… Well, I was just wondering… Dániel will be beginning that grand garden project you had ordered tomorrow, Miss…” He bowed his head to Anneliese as he refilled her glass._

_Anneliese’s eyes widened. “Oh yes! I had forgotten! He is to meet with the landscapers and everything!”_

_Feliciano nodded. “So I just thought I could… well… I could accompany you instead,” he stammered out._

_Roderich frowned a little and pondered this. “Well, but you have never really driven the carriage by yourself before… The garden can wait…”_

_Feliciano felt his shoulders sag with defeat. This had been his one good chance…_

_Anneliese scoffed. “No indeed! Feliciano can do it! If he doesn’t learn now, who knows when he will ever learn, anyway! And I would like that garden done…”_

_Her brother still looked skeptical. “Anneliese…”_

_“I’m sure he will do fine,” she answered as the manservant brought out their soup. “Now go on and eat your soup.”_

_Roderich shrugged. “If the horse bolts and the carriage overturns, I will not blame Feliciano, I will blame you,” he said in a final attitude._

_She giggled. “Very well.” Then she smiled up at Feliciano. “You will do fine, I’m sure, Feliciano.”_

_He couldn’t help but beam at her. “Yes I will! I won’t let you down, Mistress!” Then, before he forgot himself, he bowed his head to Roderich again. “Thank you, Sir. I will get you to the Zwingli house quickly and safely.”_

_Roderich nodded and absently waved him off. “Yes, very well. Now get along with you. That will be all.”_

_Feliciano nodded, set the wine bottle down by the table and left for the kitchen, his heart light and beating rapidly with excitement. He’d get to see Elise! Or, well, at least he’d get to see where she lived…_

_Roderich soon dismissed his manservant as well and just sighed as he and his sister sipped their soup. “You’re making Feliciano a favorite, Anneliese…”_

_She lightly shrugged. “I suppose so. What of it?”_

_“Nothing, really. Just make sure he remembers his place.  They have their station and we have ours.”_

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

               Feliciano grinned as he hitched up Liesl. He remembered how happy he was last night as he went to bed. And he was just as happy now; so happy, it almost obliterated the nerves he had in driving the carriage by himself. Liesl was a good horse, though. He figured she wouldn’t be too tough to manage.

               At a quarter past eleven, the brother and sister punctually came out dressed for visiting. Feliciano had driven the carriage out to the front to meet them and he hopped down to open the door for them. Roderich helped his sister inside before he stepped in himself. Both thanked him before he closed the door.

               “To the Zwingli house, Feliciano!” Anneliese said lightly.

               He nodded. “Right away, Mistress!” And he hopped back onto the carriage. It took a minute, as he wasn’t as tall as Dániel. Getting up proved more of a problem for him as it would for the Hungarian. But there was no falling or stumbling. He was light on his feet. Then, with a soft click of his tongue, he urged Liesl to begin a steady trot down the walkway and onto the road.

               He was thankful he had been so kind to the horses and other animals. Because of this, Liesl was obedient and easy to manage. He even had a bag of apples at hand to reward her when they stopped. As they grew nearer to the land owned by Basch Zwingli, Feliciano was tempted to make Liesl go faster in anticipation. He didn’t want to seem too eager, though, as they were making good time.

               The Zwingli house came into view soon enough. Feliciano found himself staring at it instead of on the road. It was large, though not as big as the Edelstein manor. He figured Basch and Elise didn’t need half as many servants as Roderich and Anneliese did. He began to wonder how Elise and Basch, especially, treated their servants…

               Liesl faltered a little, having come to a turn in the road, and Feliciano quickly focused back on his driving. He urged the horse to turn, a little sharply, yes, which caused Feliciano’s stomach to jump, but his alarm was short-lived. Liesl didn’t bolt and the carriage didn’t overturn. He sighed and inwardly lifted up a praise to the heavens. That could have gone far worse, indeed.

               They soon came to the front of the house where some servants were waiting to help the Edelsteins out and show Feliciano where the stables were. Feliciano sighed in relief and pulled the horse to a stop, speaking praises to her in Italian.

               “You’re getting an apple later, Liesl…” He muttered. “You were such a good horse…”

               He glanced up at the house before him and just stared. It was indeed fine, even if it was smaller than the Edelsteins’. He imagined Elise standing at one of the large windows, peering out to see who was coming to visit. He wondered, how many did come to visit? Did she ever get lonely in such a big house, when her brother was away…?

               The sounds of his employers speaking to someone jostled him out of his reverie and he looked down to see Anneliese being helped out of the carriage - by that pale fellow who had accompanied Elise into town.

               Feliciano’s eyes widened and he wondered if the young man recognized him. Had he even noticed him? He tried not to think about it. They were both employed in these people’s service, after all. They were bound to see each other again…

               “This way, please…” Emil Steilsson said politely to the Edelsteins. Feliciano hopped down as they walked into the house, though he couldn’t help overhear his employers talking quietly.

               “He couldn’t even come out to greet us himself..?” Roderich hissed.

               “Oh please. He’s probably looking after his sister. Behave, brother,” Anneliese replied quietly.

               Another servant led Feliciano to the stables where he could put Liesl to let her rest.

               “Thank you,” he told them before they left. He then retrieved his bag of apples. “I told you you’d get a reward,” he told the mare. He gave her an apple and gently patted her neck as she ate it.

               “Good girl,” he whispered. “Thank you for being so good on the way here...”

               The horse whinnied and nudged his hand in a response. He patted her neck one last time before he headed into the house. Not only did he want to see what it looked like, the servants had also offered him a snack while he waited for the visit to end.

 ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

               “Oh, Elise! You do look like you are recovering!” Anneliese greeted the young woman and they took each other’s hands as their brothers stiffly greeted one another. They all had gathered together in the parlor room.

               “Thank you. It was very kind of you to come and visit, Miss. Edelstein,” she replied politely, with a sweet smile. “And yes, I am on the mend. It was only a little cold.”

               “Ah, but one never knows if a little cold may lead to worse!” Anneliese chided. “I’m sure that is what your brother thought, at least…” She glanced over at the military man, smiling a bit.

               “I suppose that is true,” Elise responded quietly. She too looked over at the two men, who seemed to be getting along – somewhat…

               “How is, er, military life, Zwingli?” Roderich asked, having seated himself across from the man.

               “Fine,” Basch said shortly. “I am on leave, however.”

               “Oh. I see.”

               Basch cleared his throat and glanced at the ladies. “And, ah, how is your music business faring? Do you still mash away on that instrument of yours?”

               Roderich scoffed lightly. “I do not _mash_ on ‘that instrument.’ And yes, I am in the midst of composing a new piece. I suppose things are going well…”

               Basch rolled his eyes. “Fine, well, I’m sure Elise will like to hear it when it’s finished…”

               The two men gave each other displeased looks, obviously not impressed with the other.

               Elise sighed a bit. “My brother may seem put out, but he doesn’t mind the visit, really.”

               Anneliese smiled and waved the girl’s concern away. “Oh, they will be fine. I told Roderich they could battle each other in a game of chess, and they would amuse themselves splendidly that way. I did want to see you, both of you, after all.”

               She took Elise’s arm and they casually walked over to the window that looked out to the gardens.

               “So how have you been amusing yourself in your isolation, dear?”

               Elise stared out at the garden longingly, but soon answered. “Well, I have been reading some, and sewing. I’ve also done a couple of sketches.”

               Anneliese lit up at the sound of that. “I did hear you liked to sketch! Do you think we could go outside and do some drawings of your garden? It would be a lovely landscape!”

               Elise grew excited. She would get to go outside!

               “Brother?” She turned to the two men and they glanced up at her.

               “Yes, Elise?”

               “Miss Edelstein and I would like to do some sketches of the garden…”

               Basch nodded. “All right. I’ll get some men to bring the easels and paints out.”

               Anneliese turned now and smirked ever so slightly. “And perhaps the two of you could start that chess match I was telling you about…”

               Basch seemed interested. “Are you good at the game, Sir?”

               Roderich raised his shoulders a little. “I’ve been told I am,” he said nonchalantly.

               “If you’d like, we could set up a table outside and stay near our sisters.”

               Roderich seemed to not oppose this idea, and soon Basch had Emil and a few others set everything up outside in the gardens. The two men sat in the shade and the two ladies were in the sun with sunhats on their heads to keep the sun from blaring down on their faces. Elise was so happy to be out in the warm sun again. She had missed being able to walk around the gardens. Honestly, Basch was so overprotective sometimes…

               It was her own fault though. She had been on the mend until that day in town when it had begun to rain. The damp weather had caused her cough to return and her chest became congested again. Basch thought it had been one of her bad colds; she knew it was just because she had been careless.

               She didn’t regret it, however. She had gotten to see him again; the young man with soft, amber eyes and wavy brown hair with that wild curl amidst his bangs. She wished she could see him again, he was pleasant to be around. He made her laugh and he was so kind and thoughtful. Many times when she was lying in bed, she wondered what he was doing. Surely, she had thought, he wasn’t stuck in bed, lying around. He was probably out and about, actively working or just having fun. She had envied him for that, yet also wished she could be wherever he was. No doubt, she would have a good time…

               As she drew a couple of trees and began drawing a rough sketch of the fountain, she paused and blankly looked at the paper, lost in troubling thoughts. She wasn’t…in love with Feliciano, was she? It was impossible. She hardly knew him! She had no idea what love was, except what was in those novels Basch had always said were nonsense. Sure, he was good looking, and he was very nice, but how did she know he was like that all the time? It could just be a farce to impress young ladies.

               Elise suddenly felt guilty for thinking like that. Feliciano wasn’t like that. He was all openness and sincerity. She knew that the first night they had met. It felt like she was insulting him by thinking he was otherwise. As she began carefully forming thin blades of grass in the picture, she thought of those couple of instances she had met Feliciano. They were warm, pleasant memories and every time she thought of how kind he was that day in the town, it only made her fondness for him grow.

               _I’m being silly, though,_ she suddenly told herself. _Even if I do fall in love with him, how will it work out? I don’t think Basch would approve…_

               She sighed and Anneliese looked over at her.

               “I’m not quite satisfied with mine either,” the lady said with a sheepish smile. “But we will see how it turns out, right?”

               Elise quickly nodded. “Oh yes! Yes, indeed...”

               They resumed their painting and Elise returned back to troubling thoughts.

               _I can’t be sure this fondness for him is love, at least not yet. I don’t know him well enough, and besides, Basch probably would disapprove because he is poor. I would really have to deeply be in love with him before I started anything that went against my brother’s wishes…_

She stared out to the garden, feeling a bit regretful. _Oh well. I suppose I won’t fall in love with him… It’s not like I’ll be able to see him all that much anyway…_

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

               Feliciano was bored. This visit was taking quite some time, and through it all, he hadn’t been able to catch one glimpse of Elise. He just stayed in the kitchen (a very nice kitchen, by the way. A little smaller than theirs, but still very spacious) or went out to the stables to lie in the hay and chew on one of Liesl’s apples. He wished he had brought something to do, but he had been so excited, the thought had slipped his mind.

               After a couple of hours of sheer boredom, he had taken a nap in the stables and awoke to the sound of someone moving about. It turned out to be that pale fellow, Emil.

               Feliciano quickly sat up and pulled some hay out of his hair. “Hello!”

               Emil paused. “Oh, hello… Didn’t see you there…” 

               The two young men looked at each other for a minute. Once again, there seemed to be no real bond or connection formed between them. Feliciano felt a little guilty for not wanting to befriend this fellow. He tried to like everyone, after all! There was just something about this man that rubbed him the wrong way… Maybe it was his pale features and shockingly light blue eyes that reminded him of an apparition. Or perhaps it was just because he was able to continually be in the company of a young lady Feliciano admired while he had not even been able to get a glimpse of her.

               “I suppose you are the one who brought the Edlesteins here.”

               Feliciano blinked. So he hadn’t noticed him earlier after all. “That’s right! I never drove the carriage before and I wanted to learn! Plus I was curious about the neighbors!” He tried to work up a bright smile.

               Emil nodded. “I see. I guess we all get a little curious to see all of their different houses…” He glanced out of the stables.

               Feliciano rose up from his temporary bed of hay. “Oh yes! I saw Master Bonnefoy’s house one time. It was splendid.”

               “Does it ever bother you..?” Emil suddenly asked.

               “Does what bother me?”

               “Well, that people like Master Bonnefoy, or even the Edelsteins have so much while there are many that have so little.” Emil folded his hands behind his back and stared blankly ahead.

               Feliciano was surprised. He had honestly never thought about such things before. Some people lived some ways, others lived different ways; that was what Master Roderich said several times. True, he didn’t like the fact that people like him couldn’t openly be friends with people like Elise or even Ludwig, but if he really thought about it, he had never really let that fact bother him so much. Neither had he thought about people who were less fortunate and lived in poorer circumstances than himself.

               “I…Well, not really. There isn’t anything that can be done about it…”

               Emil frowned a bit. “I’m sure there could be. If people would only take the time to see…” He mumbled. Then he paused and looked back at Feliciano, as if suddenly realizing he was still there.

               “Ah – anyways, did you want something to eat or drink? You’ve been out here rather a long time.”

               Feliciano sighed and shrugged. “Well, I did have a snack an hour ago, or so, but I wouldn’t mind a drink. I’m so bored…”

               Emil led him back into the kitchen. “The nobles will be going to town soon. Perhaps you could have a tour of the house after they leave.”

               Feliciano halted in his tracks. “Wait! You mean, they’re leaving?”

               “Yes, to town to meet with some friends, I’m guessing. They will be taking Captain Zwingli’s carriage, so you needn’t worry. You will be sent for later, I’m sure.”

               Feliciano felt defeated. The one reason he had offered to drive for his employers seemed to be slipping away from him.

               Emil noticed how somber the Italian had become. He was easy to read, though he figured Feliciano was just weary of waiting here for hours on end.

               “You still want a drink?” He inquired.

               Feliciano nodded. “Red wine, if you have any.”

               As the two fellows indulged in a little wine from the wine cellar, a bell rang from above and Emil noticed it was for him. He excused himself to see what Basch required of him. It turned out that he was required to drive the nobles into town.

               “Is Miss Zwingli not coming, Sir?” Emil asked quietly, seeing that Elise was nowhere to be found while the others dressed for the brief travel.

               “No. I still don’t think she is able to go out beyond the garden. She still needs to recover a couple of days more before she can ride in the carriage again,” was Basch’s curt reply.

               Emil nodded, though he thought the man was being too worrisome. Elise’s color had greatly improved and he could tell she was becoming restless. But what could he do? Basch was his employer and he couldn’t second guess him. He excused himself to quickly grab his coat and when he retrieved it, he noticed Feliciano slyly peeking out from the kitchen.

               Emil shrugged his coat on and gestured for Feliciano to come over. “I have to go out with the Master and his guests.”

               “Oh. Right.” Feliciano nodded emphatically, showing that he understood.

               Emil sighed. “Just… don’t go blundering about. Neither of us want to lose our places.”

               “I understand. Thank you for the wine.” He lifted his glass and Emil frowned at him, which made Feliciano anxious.

               “I won’t drink any more, though! I promise!”

               “You had better not. Now I must go.” Emil gave Feliciano one last warning look before he quickly turned and headed down the dark hall that led the servants out to the courtyard.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

               Elise let out yet another sigh as she trimmed the stems off some flowers in the garden. They would make a lovely bouquet, she thought. As she continued snipping and placing the flowers in her basket, she began to wish Basch had let her go with them to town. They were going to see Gilbert and Ludwig Beilschmidt, and she hadn’t seen them in quite some time. She was quite fond of them. Gilbert made her laugh and Ludwig was always pleasant to talk to.

               She peered up at the blue sky and felt the sun’s warm rays beat down upon her back. She wore her hat again to protect her face. It was a lovely day out, she could have easily gone to town without a fuss.

               _When I am able to leave the grounds, I’m going to pay them a visit,_ she decided. Surely they would be happy to see her again.

               But for now, she was alone in the house. As she went inside and made her way to the parlor, she decided that after she arranged these flowers, she would go into the library and read. There was a vase in the dining room that she could use, she remembered, and headed that way.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

               _Molto magnifico…_ Feliciano thought as he peered in several different rooms. He used the small doors that the servants used to get a peep into different rooms, like the study and the library. He even crept over to look into the parlor room. It was pretty, like the Edelstein’s, if not less ornate. It had more of a country cottage feel to it, which he liked. He wondered if Elise had any input in designing it.

               He saw a garden beyond the glass doors in the parlor but did not go beyond the room. He was too afraid to enter. Once again using the passage ways that the servants used, he opened a door to see a large table with chairs and a massive china cabinet.

               _Ah, the dining room. How nice…_ He wasn’t very interested in lingering long to look around until he heard a door opening. He pulled the door to a little further in case the intruder spotted him. His eyes widened when he saw the petite form of Elise Zwingli enter the room. Hadn’t she left with the others? Why was she still in the house? Feliciano felt his heart beat a little faster than before, whether out of worry of being caught or just in seeing her again, he didn’t know. But he didn’t retreat from his hiding spot. He continued to watch her.

               She seemed to be trying to get something from the china cabinet. She opened its doors and looked up at one of the objects on the shelves. It must have been higher up, as she couldn’t reach it. He heard her sigh in exasperation and look around the room, as if bewildered, trying to figure out what to do next.

               He wanted to help her. He didn’t care if she would get mad at him for spying on her. After all, wasn’t that what his job was about, helping people? He slowly opened the door and closed it behind him. Then he cleared his throat.

               Elise whirled around, taken by surprise. When she spotted Feliciano, she laid a hand over her heart.

               “Oh! Oh my! Feliciano? Is that really you?” She was astonished.

               He gave her a kind smile. “We meet again!”

               She couldn’t help but laugh a little. “What in heaven’s name are you doing here? And in my dining room, no less!” She appeared to be amused.

               “I accompanied Mister and Miss Edelstein here.” He slowly approached her.

               “Oh, I see. Well, that makes sense.” She smiled brightly. She could hardly believe it! Did she not just think to herself that she would never see him again? And yet here he was!

               He nodded. “Do you need help with something? I couldn’t help but notice you were trying to reach up.”

               “Oh, right…” She sighed. “You see that vase up on the shelf?”

               He looked up to where she was pointing and saw a lovely ceramic vase. “Yes.”

               “I was trying to retrieve that.”

               Feliciano gave her another bright smile. “I could get it for you!”

               “Oh, would you? It is so hard being this short!” She almost pouted in frustration.

               She was so cute… He felt all warm inside just by looking at that pretty face of hers, set in that little pout. “I definitely will! Do you mind if I use one of the chairs?”

               “I suppose not.”

               He nodded and carefully brought one of the dining chairs over to the cabinet and stood upon it. With as much care as he could muster, he took the vase in his hands and lowered it down so she could take it. He let out a sigh of relief when she held it in her hands. He stepped down and quickly put the chair back in its place.

               “Thank you, Feliciano!” Elise said happily.

               “You’re welcome. What do you need a vase for?” He asked, curious. A minute later, he blushed shamefully, afraid he had been too forward. “Um, that is, if you don’t mind my asking…”

               She laughed. “Of course I don’t mind! Here, I will show you…”

               She led him out into the foyer, despite his nervousness of being out in the actual house and not in the servant’s quarters. Once in the foyer, he saw a basket of flowers lying on a small table.

               “I was going to do some flower arrangement!” She said after a minute.

               “Oh! How pretty!” He looked at the flowers and picked it up to sniff it.

               “Yes,” she replied. “I think they are too. We have more in the garden.”

               “I caught a glimpse of that garden. It looks like you have plenty of flowers out there!” He sheepishly smiled a minute later, after realizing how silly he sounded.

               “Oh, we do!” She giggled. “Would you like to see it?”

               “Sure!” He nodded eagerly.

               The two of them headed for the parlor and once again he was a little nervous at being in the fine rooms. Elise seemed to notice and she actually touched his hand for a moment.

               “It’s all right…” she said quietly. “You needn’t worry. It’s just me.”

               He looked at her, a bit surprised. “ _G-grazie…”_

She smiled and opened the glass doors leading out to the garden.

               He let out an impressed, “Ah!” Looking around, he admired the different flower beds, the small pond and fountain, as well as the gazebo and trees.

               “The Edelsteins don’t have such a nice garden as this!” He exclaimed. “Ah, I could paint this spot…” He murmured wistfully.

               “You paint?”

               He turned back to her, and beamed. “Oh yes! It is my favorite thing in all the world!”

               Elise felt a happy blush come over her cheeks. “I… I like to paint too. Well, sketch is the better word for what I do…”

               He already knew that. It was what made his fondness for her grow. And now… “Were you sketching earlier?” He asked, gesturing to the easels set on the porch.

               “Yes, with Miss Edelstein.”

               He asked if he could see what she had been drawing and she showed him, admittedly feeling a bit nervous to share her work with him. But he was all affability and praised her. He said she had talent. It made her blush even more.

               “I should like to see you paint, Feliciano,” she said quietly.

               “All right, if you’d like…” He seemed pleased at that.

               After retrieving two new easels, they both sat in the garden together, trying to figure out what to paint. Suddenly, Elise spotted some rabbits and suggested they try to paint them. Feliciano happily agreed. They were adorable and he was definitely in the mood to draw something adorable. As they sketched and began forming the shape of the rabbits’ legs, head and ears, he glanced over at her.

               “I think rabbits are so cute, don’t you?” She looked up from her drawing with those big eyes of hers shining at him, and he clutched at his paper.

               “Oh, yes. Yes, they are very cute.” He looked back at the rabbits and tried distracting himself with drawing. He could hear her happily humming, not seeming to notice his mild discomfort. They soon finished and began painting in the colors and other more detailed features. He showed her several techniques he had learned back in Italy, like how to make the paint look like fur and how to give the coat and beady eyes a shine.

               “Ah, I think I like yours a little better,” she said after they were finished and examined their work.

               “But you did an excellent job!” He remonstrated. “I especially like the little one over there…”

               Elise smiled and lowered her drawing to look at him. “This was fun, wasn’t it?”

               He was quiet and merely nodded. “ _Si._ It was..”

               She rested her hand on his own that was lying in the grass. “And thank you for the lessons. I’ll be sure to            remember them…”

               He noticed she was leaning in a little closer than before as they remained sitting in the grass. He loved the feel of her soft hand upon his. Looking up into her eyes, he found himself lost in blues and greens…it reminded him of the sea.

               She suddenly felt quite nervous being close to him like this. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, she told herself. Basch would not approve. No one would approve. But none of them were here; there was just Feliciano and the look in his eyes was so soft and inviting. Eyes the color of amber…

               He felt his nose brush against hers and realized she was _very_ close now. He also noticed how her lower lips had a bit of a pouting shape to it and felt drawn to them. She remained very still and her eyes slid shut as he drew nearer and nearer. As for him, everything slipped away: sounds, the time, the place, it was all lost in the moment. Just an inch or two more and he would have his lips touching hers.

               They could hear the sound of a horse and carriage clattering up to the courtyard and Feliciano instantly drew away from her while she gasped in surprise.

               “Oh! They…they must have returned!”

               “Y-yes!” Feliciano replied, in a light tone that was slightly forced. He quickly stood to his feet.

               She slowly rose up, adjusting her skirts to make sure she was still presentable and glanced at the young man. “Well…”

               He took a deep breath and tried smiling at her. “I guess I have to go…”

               She tried to hide her disappointment and nodded. “That would probably be best.”

               She suddenly felt him grasp her hand and looked at him in utter astonishment as he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. She felt something stirring inside of her when his eyes met hers.

               “Thank you for showing me your garden, Elise,” he said softly.

               She wasn’t sure what her eyes were telling him, and she didn’t care. That was utterly gallant of him.

               “You’re most welcome, Feliciano. Thank you for painting with me.”

               He nodded. “What should we do with them?” He looked at their paintings still lying on the ground.

               She went to pick hers up. “Why don’t we exchange them? I will keep yours and you will keep mine.”

               He smiled and picked his up. “I like that idea. Here.” He handed her his painting and she gave him his. “We can remember today this way.”

               Elise nodded. “Exactly.” She paused and sighed. “I suppose you had better leave before they catch you.”

               He looked just as disappointed as she felt and nodded. “Goodbye, Elise.”

               “Goodbye…”

               He held her painting and with one more wave and smile quickly headed into the parlor and sneaked through the small door leading to the servant’s quarters. He made his way to the stables and used the bag he’d stored the apples for Liesl to hide the painting. Hopefully no one would notice. Then he began hitching Liesl up in preparation to head home.

               Elise remained in the garden, staring at Feliciano’s painting and felt a little agitated. She had almost experienced her first kiss, and with a young man who was part of the help! Not that it bothered her, but she knew others would not like it. She bit her lip and looked up at the sky.

               _I don’t care ether way,_ she finally decided. _I just wished he had actually kissed me. I don’t even know if I will see him again… I’m such a fool!_

Setting the painting to the side on the bench, she covered her face with her hands, struggling with her emotions. She was more than certain she was on the way to falling in love.

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

               The drive home was uneventful, which was surprising to Feliciano that he had been able to keep Liesl steady. He was so full of the afternoon, he didn’t know how to contain himself. _He had almost kissed her!_ Right then and there, in the garden. Their noses had even been touching! He had been a mere couple of inches away! It made him dizzy and he wished above all things that he had actually gone through with it and actually kissed her.

               When he arrived back inside, he headed upstairs to his room, not even bothering to say hello to Elizaveta. He set the painting Elise had done right on his window sill so that he could see it when he woke up. It really was a good painting, he thought. She had made the bunnies look just as cute as she was herself…

               Even when Elizaveta called for dinner, he didn’t hear her, too busy thinking about Elise. It made him laugh. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking about this, who knew when he would next see her? Plus her brother would be so angry if he knew his sister had almost kissed a working boy… But it just made him laugh. There was no class, no separation worries, and no wealth issues on his mind. There was Elise and only Elise.

               _I suppose this is it… I must be in love._


	7. Coming Home

               "Elise?"

               Hearing her brother's voice, the young woman bounded down her stairs after putting Feliciano's painting in her room. She quickly made her way into the parlor before her brother noticed she had been preoccupied.

               "Elise?"

               "I'm here, Basch!" She called, sitting down on the sofa. She tried to steady her breathing and compose herself.

               He came into the parlor and saw her sitting by the fireplace as if waiting for him.

               "I hoped you weren't too bored being left alone like that."

               "Oh no, I was fine," she replied as he sat down next to her. Her time alone meant she was able to spend time with Feliciano. She hadn't been bored at all.

               "Good. I'm sorry you couldn't come, but you know, we can't risk your health."

               She smiled and laid her hand on her brother's arm. "I know you were just looking out for me, Basch. It's all right."

               He nodded and patted her hand. "Well... Are you all right?" He suddenly asked. "Your cheeks are flushed."

               "Oh!" She touched one of her cheeks and sheepishly smiled. "I'm afraid I overexerted myself earlier in the garden. There was a rabbit, you see..."

               Her brother actually smiled amusedly. "We don't need you falling down rabbit holes," he teased a little.

               "I know, I know." She giggled. "I promise I'll be more careful from now on."

               "You always say that but I'm starting to think you don't really mean it." Basch ruffled her hair a little.

               They exchanged smiles together but Elise was starting to feel a little guilty that she lied to him about what she had been really doing. But after all, if she had told him the truth, he would ask to see her painting and she wouldn't be able to say no. Plus, if he did see it, he'd recognize it being someone else's work and she'd have to  tell him about Feliciano. Truthfully, she didn't want Basch to know about her possible romance; not yet, at least. She knew he wouldn't like it. He seemed determined to have her wedded to someone who could take care of her; someone with money.

               She tried not to think about that for the moment and decided to change the subject.

               "So did you see the Beilschmidts?" She asked Basch.

               He sighed and nodded. "Yes. They're doing fine. Gilbert Beilschmidt is still a royal pain in the - ah, neck." Basch tried to watch his tongue around his sister.

               She weakly smiled. "Oh. But, Ludwig is nice, isn't he?"

               "I suppose so. He's become quite respectable, unlike his brother. But he keeps that rogue in check."

               Elise amusedly nodded. "He's a good man," she replied, referring to the younger Beilschmidt brother.

               "I was glad we were able to have visitors.." She said after a minute.

               He glanced at her. "We don't have many visitors over, do we?" He mused.

               She was quiet for a while and merely shook her head. "You are so busy though. It would be hard to entertain.."

               "Yes, but that doesn't mean you should be lonely because of me.." He murmured thoughtfully. "Listen.." He looked back at her. "From now on, if you ever want some friends to visit, go right ahead and invite them over. You can entertain anyone you want."

               She was taken by surprise. "Oh! Thank you very much, Basch! Do you think I could go visiting someday as well?"

               He frowned a little. "Not right now. You're still recovering. When you're better, yes."

               That made her sigh a bit in frustration. Her shoulders sagged. "But I'm better now. Can I at least go see Miss Edelstein?"

               He glanced away. "All in good time, Elise. You shouldn't push things."

               She shook her head a little. "Very well. I think I want to go to my room."

               He nodded. "And I need to get some work done." He rose up and kissed her cheek. "I love you, Elise."

               She blinked and smiled a little. "I love you too."

               Another smile now appeared on his face. "I'll let you know when it is time for dinner."

               "Thank you!" She gave him a brighter smile now and went upstairs to her room.

               Once alone, she again began thinking about the time she spent with the young Italian man recently. She found that it was quite easy to think about him, and fondly recalled all the times they had interacted together. She remembered the look of warmth that had been in his amber eyes as they talked and the way his hair curled at the ends. He was definitely a handsome man. She had never really thought about how men looked until now, and she knew she probably wasn't much of a judge on beauty, but she did like the way he looked. He didn't tower above her like others; he was shorter and she didn't get a neck ache from looking up at him. She liked that.

               Elise sighed. She wanted to see him again. She picked up the painting of the rabbits he had given to her and took a moment to admire it. It really was a lovely work of art. She thought the rabbits looked so real. It was hard to believe that he only painted as a hobby. Why wasn't he a commercial painter with sponsors or commissioners? She figured he would certainly be able to make plenty of money if he painted for a living...

               After studying the painting for a few seconds, she got a bit of an idea. She went over to her small writing desk and pulled out some sheets of paper.

               _Basch said I could invite anyone over to visit, so I'm going to do just that!_ She thought. She didn't think about the fact that she was inviting not only a man that Basch didn't know, but a servant as well. She could only think about how close they had just been, how nice his smile was and how kind he treated her every time they met. If she sat back and was honest with herself, she would admit the truth: she didn't want anything half as much as she wanted to see Feliciano. It made her smile and she hoped he felt the same.

               Elise wrote her letter, folded it and prepared to seal it with her own personal seal - until she realized someone could find it odd that the sister of Captain Sebastian Zwingli was sending a letter to a working boy. So instead of using her own letter seal, she poured the wax and pressed down on it with the butt of a spoon. She also did her best to write the addresses on the front of the letter in the blockiest handwriting she could muster. She made sure it looked extremely un-ladylike.

               It was frustrating that she had to be so subtle about all of this. But being undercover was the only way she could be able to see Feliciano. She was sure her brother or Mr. Edelstein or even Emil would seize the letter otherwise, and who knows what would happen to Feliciano?

               As she thought about all of this, she then realized she had to come up with a way to get the letter delivered. Perhaps she could deliver it on the next trip to town? She could slip it to the post and leave it to find its way to the Edelstein manor, but she could only guess the next time she would be going into town.

               Suddenly as she stared dejectedly at her desk, the answer to this dilemma came to her. When Emil went to mail the letters from her and Basch, she could slip the letter in amongst the other letters! it was a small envelope so it surely must get mixed in with the rest. It was Saturday, the day before Emil was allowed his Sunday off to go home and see his family. He usually went to deliver the last-minute week's mail before he left. She didn't have much time before he would stop by to check if she had anything to deliver.

               She had to come up with other invitations to use as decoys for her letter to Feliciano. She thought of the people she knew - any female acquaintances she could invite over for tea. After a minute, she realized she didn't really know so many after all. Being of a weak constitution whose paranoid brother kept shut-in half the time, her social life wasn't very developed.

               Well, she knew she could always invite Miss Edelstein over. There was also the young Mrs. Williams, an English lady recently widowed who had decided to move back to the town after living abroad in India for several years. The two had never really talked, but Elise was curious to meet her. There was also Mr. Bonnefoy's cousin, Miss Cardea who was visiting from the coast of France. She could send her an invitation before the lady's visit ended.

               By the time Emil knocked on the door for his usual request for any letters to post before he left, Elise had at least five letters written and sealed, plus the anonymous one to Feliciano, which she slipped to the back of the pile. She quickly trotted up to him and placed them in his hand.

               Emil was admittedly surprised. Elise usually never had any letters to send. He knew better than to look at each letter to see who she was writing to, though. The last thing he wanted was to be inconsiderate to the lady's private business.

               "You seem surprised," Elise amusedly noted.

               He cleared his throat. "I am a little, I'll admit."

               She shook her head. "It's all right, I understand. I know with the state I'm usually in, sending letters isn't a usual pastime for me."

               "Perhaps not, but I think it's a good thing..." Emil gave her a shy smile. "I'm glad to know that you can be able to see people and make friends."

               She was the one who looked surprised now and he felt like he was beginning to blush, which mortified him.

               "I'm sorry," he muttered.

               "No! No, there's no need for you to be." She laid a friendly hand on his arm. "I appreciate the concern, Emil. You are very kind."

               He nodded bashfully and looked away. Once again, he wasn't sure what to say next. Elise just smiled and tried to hold back a giggle.

               "You probably should go," she said, patting his arm again. "Thank you for taking my letters by the way."

               The young man took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, you are right. Goodbye, Miss Elise, and take care."

               Elise gave him a smile and bit him a friendly goodbye. She was glad she was able to keep her amusement in check. She didn't want to hurt Emil by making him believe that she was laughing at his discomfort, but he had been so embarrassed, it was a little amusing - and kind of cute.

               Afterwards, she decided to go down to the library and find a book to amuse herself until dinner. She hoped that her letter to Feliciano would reach him. Soon she was immersed in reading about the arts and culture of the country of Italy, the home of the Renaissance.

 

* * *

               Emil was soon  hitching his horse and heading out for his short weekend off. He had to mail the letters first, though, so he headed into town and dropped the letters off at the post. Then he headed out past the town and away from the country estates towards home. Home for him was actually a little further away, towards the coastline. Of course, he wasn't a native of these parts, but he did have family in the small fishing village near the shore.

               It took an hour or two before he could smell the familiar scents of salt and fish in the air. Soon he could hear the cries of the seagulls and the crashing waves on the shoreline below. Emil sighed and slipped off his jacket. It was always a relief to come out to the sea. He missed it. Plus the constant running back and forth for Basch Zwingli got tiresome. He lived for these short weekend holidays.

               There was a small fishing shack near the docks that boasted to have the best catch of fish; the ripe smell of fresh cod seemed to justify that claim. Emil rode up to that shack and once his horse was tethered at a railing and taken care of, he peered inside.

               "Anybody home?"

               A voice answered. "Yeah! Be right with ya!"

               Then a middle-aged man came out from the back of the shack, wiping his large chapped hands with a cloth. He was tall, with bright blue eyes and a shock of golden hair peeking out of his bandanna. When he saw Emil standing in the doorway, a wide smile appeared on his friendly face.

               "Emil! You're back!" He exclaimed.

               A small smile appeared on the younger man's face. "Hello Matthias."

               "Well don't just stand there! Can I at least get a hug from my own cousin?"

               Emil sighed and slung his bag off his shoulder before walking up to his cousin and hugged him.

               "There. Happy now?" He muttered.

               Matthias laughed. "Oh yeah! I'm glad to see you, man!" He ruffled Emil's head.

               "Yeah.." He smacked the man's hand away. "It is good to see you as well.." He admitted.

               "Of course it is!" Matthias laughed again. "We've missed you around here! How is it up there with the spoiled and privileged?" He chuckled.

               "The same as ever. Nothing really changes unless someone hosts a party or they decide to take a trip to the city or abroad." Emil shrugged. He didn't really want to talk about his rich employer or his neighbors.

               "Ah. Well, what do you expect? I still hold by my opinion that being that wealthy would be boring." Matthias grinned and patted Emil on the back.

               "Well, come on in. You can get your cot set up upstairs and then we can talk some more over a warm cup of grog. I can get you something to eat too."

               Emil followed him past the shelves of nets and fishing lines and towards the back where the fish were kept and stored in a storage room and where the kitchen was located. There was also a steep and narrow staircase that led to a second floor where everyone slept. Emil entered one of the bedrooms where he usually slept on a small cot next to another bed.

               "Is Lukas out fishing?" Emil asked.

               "Yep. He's been out for the past month. But he wrote a couple weeks ago and said they should be coming in today. You're lucky! You'll get to see him this time!"

               Emil nodded and thanked Matthias before the man left him to get situated. He was inwardly happy at the news Matthias told him. His brother Lukas was usually out on the boats fishing when he visited. It would be nice to see him again.

               Once he got his cot set up, he went back down to see Matthias warming up some water, adding rum and lemon juice to it. There was some bread and salted fish on the table and Emil began to eat as Matthias brought him a tankard of the grog over.

               "Here ya go." Matthias smiled at the way his cousin quickly gobbled down the food. "Poor lad. You must have had a tiring trip, eh?"

               Emil tried to slow down his eating and nodded. "Yeah. I didn't really stop except for a couple instances where my horse grew tired."

               Matthias nudged his shoulder. "Well, if you want to take a quick nap, I'll let you know when the boats begin coming in. You know they all head over to the nearby pub to drink and eat, so we can go see them there!"

               "Yeah, all right." The young man downed a gulp of his grog and finished off the food. "Thanks Matthias."

               "Don't mention it, lad! It's just good to see you again! Now go get some rest! I'll wake you when it's time to go."

               Emil nodded and went back upstairs to take a nap. Even though the bed was small and he was in a humble fishing shack by the docks that stunk of damp wood and fish, he felt far more relaxed than he did sleeping in the servants' quarters in a grand house.

               A couple hours later, he was awoken by his cousin who told him to get up so they could head out to the docks. The boats were coming in. The two men left the shack - Matthias putting a makeshift "closed" sign on the door - and they went to walk on the worn, wooden docks. From a distance several fishing boats could be seen heading in from the sea. There were many other people waiting by the docks too, waving and cheering as their family members and friends came sailing in.

               "I hope they caught a lot this time!" Matthias remarked as he waved to the fishermen. It was always a little celebration when the men came back from being out at sea. They were all happy to see that no ships were lost and no one was injured or missing.

               Emil could see his brother's ship was one of three that were returning. Soon the anchors were lowered and the planks were dropped. Matthias and Emil were among those that helped the weary fishermen unload their catches, dragging the nets over to the many insulated crates that were brought up. They would soon begin preparing the fish for the preservation process.

               "Not a bad load!" Matthias exclaimed as he hauled one of the nets. "I see you didn't bag any sharks this time."

               A thin, wiry man with pale blonde hair and violet eyes dropped down onto the docks. He scoffed and punched Matthias on the arm.

               "Just be grateful we got what we did!" He scolded his cousin. "This time of year, some were hard to catch!"

               Emil shook his head and smiled a little. "At least you all came back safely.."

               "Yeah. We ran into some storms a couple of times, so I am extremely grateful for that." The fisherman chuckled and put his arm around Emil's shoulders. "How's my little brother these days?" He asked.

               Emil shrugged. "I'm all right; can't complain."

               "Lukas! Emil! Help me with this fish and then we can join the rest of the boys and celebrate!"

               The two brothers helped their cousin take Lukas's share of the catch and went to the fishing shack they owned to store and preserve the fish. It wasn't an easy task. It made their hands red and chapped since they had to handle the rough fish and preserve it with ice and  salt. They packed it all into insulated crates and put them in a storage room.

               Once finished, Lukas urged his brother and cousin to join him at the local pub. There, all the fishermen were gathered, drinking, eating and celebrating their latest catches. Many of the men on Lukas's ship praised their captain for deciding to go north to fish for cod, their big catch of the day. Their captain, a short but tough English fellow named Kirkland just waved their praises aside.

               "It wasn't my idea. It was thanks to Lukas that I made that decision at all. If it wasn't for him mentioning his home country, I wouldn't have thought of it." He waved Lukas over and handed him a drink.

               "Let's all cheer for Lukas!" Captain Kirkland exclaimed.

               Emil couldn't help but feel proud for his older brother as the men cheered for him. He was glad to see that Lukas was respected and liked by everyone. Hopefully Lukas would be appointed to a higher position, maybe even get his own ship someday!

               The men all drank and sang together merrily. Soon they were joined by some of the local women and things started to get wilder. Emil couldn't help but chuckle when his rather forward cousin got slapped in the face by one of the ladies. There were no gentlemen or cultured actions here. The sailors and fisherman were a rough and rowdy bunch.

               As Emil sat and listened to Lukas and his shipmates talk about their ventures, he noticed a familiar black head with red ribbons among the crowd.

               "Michelle?" He went over to see if the woman was indeed the fellow servant who worked at the French plutocrat's house.

               "Oh! Emil!" Sure enough, it was her.

               "How are you?" Emil asked. He hadn't expected to see her here of all places.

               "Oh, I'm fine. I came here to see if--" She glanced around at the crowd and smiled a little. "Well...And how are you? I'm sure you're glad to see your brother safely returned!"

               "Oh yes." He turned to look at her brother and his crewmates. "So how were things when you left them?" He was referring to their employers back at their mansions.

               She shrugged . "Everything's normal, except..."

               "Except?"

               She sighed. "Well, there's been some...talk."

               He frowned a bit, confused. Michelle looked a little nervous and leaned in closer to him so she didn't have to talk as loudly.

               "Apparently several different workers are forming a group in secret. They plan on making a union to protest and go on strike."

               Emil's eyes widened. "What are they doing that for?"

               "They're feeling the same way we do: they're tired of working eighteen hours a day with little pay. They want longer holidays.."

               That sounded very interesting. "So they're going to protest against the nobles?"

               "That's the general idea," she said, shaking her head. She glanced over at the crowd again. Someone seemed to catch her attention.

               "I don't like it. It'll only lead to trouble," she muttered.

               Emil couldn't really agree with her. This had been the type of thing he was hoping would happen. He decided to ask how she'd found out about this and she told him that a couple of her fellow housemaids knew people who were participating. Emil asked for their names for reference.

               "I don't think it's a good idea to get mixed up in all that, Emil," she warned. "What good will it do?"

               "It will at least send those people a message," Emil answered. "We can only do so much before it becomes too much to bear."

               "And what about your own master?" She pressed. "Zwingli is a _Captain,_ in the _militia._ Doesn't that worry you?"

               "It's not like I'll be committing any crimes if I join in on this!" He argued. "I'll be fine."

               Michelle sighed and nodded. "If you say so..." She glanced over again at the crowd and Emil noticed that they were being watched.

               "I'll see you around, Emil," she said and gave him a smile. Emil bid her goodbye before Michelle made her way upstairs, still smiling over at a certain person in the group of men - a particular captain that she hadn't seen in many a month.

               "Everything all right?" Lukas asked Emil once he sat back down with him and Matthias.

               Emil was quiet for a moment. Then he looked at his brother and cousin. There was an odd sort of smile on his face.

               "Yes. I think so.." he said. "I get  the feeling that things are going to get interesting in these next few months, brother," he said before he sipped his glass of rum.

               Lukas and Matthias were confused but Emil didn't feel like explaining. Instead, he had a great deal to think about once he returned back to the Zwingli house on Monday.


	8. Gazebo

It was a week later and Feliciano was still unable to get his mind off of the lovely young woman he had almost kissed that day in her own garden. In fact, he'd been daydreaming about that day quite a lot since then. It had gotten him into trouble a few times since such lovely thoughts left him so absent-minded; Elizaveta almost shook him out of frustration. He'd even gotten his ears boxed one time, which was kind of embarrassing, since mostly only children got that punishment.

            "I swear! How old are you?" Elizaveta hissed once when he'd almost spilled some wine he was delivering to his employers onto the newly-cleaned floor.

            "S-Sorry!" He'd whisper back, as he would adjust the tray.

            "Are you not feeling well, Feliciano?" She would then ask. "You seem, well, more out of sorts than usual.."

            What was he supposed to say? He could tell her he was certain he was in love this time, but then she'd ask more questions, like who he was in love with, or if she lived nearby or in town. He couldn't really tell her he was falling in love with the Captain's sister. He knew she'd either be upset or she would just shake her head, at a loss of what to tell him. Either way, he figured it would all boil down to the same answer:

            There was no hope for him when it came to someone like Elise. She was way out of his league.

            So he would just shake his head; tell her he had a headache of sorts. Then Elizaveta would concernedly offer him medicine which he would deny. It wasn't that bad of a pain, he'd say. No doubt a good night's sleep would banish it away.

            But no amount of sleep would banish away what was really bothering him. There was no way he could erase those lovely sea-green eyes, that soft, golden hair, or her sweet smile from his mind. Feliciano supposed he was in what was usually called the lovesick stage. He didn't want to eat, he had trouble sleeping. Oh, if he could only _see_ her again; he wouldn't even need to speak to her per se. He just wanted to see her, make sure she was all right.

            "You've got a letter," Elizaveta said, coming up to him as he was preparing to scrub the iron grates of the fireplace in the parlor.

            He turned from his job of mixing blacking powder with vinegar, blinking. "Wait... Me?"

            "Yeah. That's your name!" She turned the letter around to show him.

            "Oh.." He thought about people who could send him a letter and got a little nervous. "Well..thanks!" He gave her a smile and stuffed the letter in his pocket. He'd have to read it later.

            "Have you been flirting with other housemaids again?" The Hungarian lady queried, folding her arms.

            Feliciano chuckled and once he had the thick, black goo mixed well enough, he prepared to take the small bucket and scrubbing brush to the parlor. "Why do you ask that?"

            "Because the letter came from one of the big houses nearby." Elizaveta gasped and followed him into the parlor. "It's that girl, isn't it?"

            Feliciano gulped a little. "What do you mean?" He asked slowly.

            "You told me you thought you might be in love with someone! You've been flirting with a ladies' maid haven't you? Or even a housekeeper? Someone a bit above your place!" Her eyes were wide and she watched him worriedly.

            He knelt down at the fireplace and dipped the scrubbing brush into the bucket. Then he began scrubbing the iron grates.

            "That's not it.." He said, grunting a little.

            Elizaveta raised an eyebrow. "Well then...what is it?"

            Feliciano paused in his work. He opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't say anything at first. He was beginning to feel nervous at how close she was to the truth; his fear of her asking questions was coming true.  How was he to explain to her what he was going through at the moment? And if she were to find out...?

            He had thought about it for the past couple of weeks and really hadn't come to a conclusion what he should do about his predicament. To admit to loving someone like Elise was dangerous. He couldn't tell anyone; not Elizaveta and not Ludwig. It would have to be his secret, especially if the lady herself didn't return his affections.

            _No,_ he thought before answering, _I'll just have to let Elizaveta think I am involved with a ladies' maid..._

            "I just... All right, I _am_ in love with someone.." He admitted. "But," he continued before she could say anything in reply, "I don't know if it could really work out, even though..." He stopped and looked down at the blacking mixture.

            She sighed. "You are hopeless aren't you?" Elizaveta muttered, shaking her head. "Even though you told me already that you didn't think it would work, you still fell for this person."

            He sighed a little and nodded. "Yes. I - I cannot help myself." He looked up at her after a moment. "If only you knew her, you'd understand. She is the sweetest lady... and so very kind." He looked into the fireplace, as if deep in thought.

            "I want to be with her - always - the more I know about her." He admitted quietly. "Even if I couldn't speak to her, seeing her pretty face would be enough..."

            Elizaveta saw how earnest he was. There was a glimmer of passion in his eyes and she saw how he clutched the scrubbing brush tightly in his hand. She suddenly began to worry.

            "Perhaps you need to think on this more..." She said thoughtfully.

            He looked up at her. "What?"

            She sighed. "You're a passionate person, Feli. Being in love for the first time is a wonderful thing, but I worry that you may act irrationally, without thinking. You tell me you think this affair may not work out so be careful in dealing with this lady, whoever she is."

            Feliciano stared down at the fireplace and nodded.

            "Yes. I suppose you are right."

            She smiled a little and patted his shoulder. Then she left him alone. As she returned to her duties, which was shining the silver at the moment, she couldn't help but think of Feliciano and whatever was going on with him. He may have been involved with a servant, bound to her household, unable to leave and be with him instead. Either that or...

            _I don't want to think of any other possibilities._ She thought. _There's already enough problems with the nobles as it is._

She thought of her brother and his devotion to the Beilschmidt girl. Was he not going through enough suffering? How would Feliciano be if he became attached to someone like that?

            And then there were her own experiences...

            "Is something the matter?"

            Elizaveta turned to see Roderich Edelstein enter the dining room. She smiled a little, shaking her head.

            "No. I was just thinking."

            "Ah." He folded his hands behind his back. "Is it about your brother?"

            She sighed a little. "For the most part."

            "I see." He looked at her quietly for a minute. "There is nothing I can do?"

            "You're very kind," she answered quietly. "But no. He's in love with one of your cousins and there's nothing I can do to deter him."

            "I am sorry, Elizaveta." Edelstein reached out and slowly took her hand.

            She let him. "Thank you..." She didn't say more and looked down at the shining silverware.

            The Austrian smiled gently. He rested his hand modestly on her arm.

            "I'm composing a new piece at the moment. Would you like to hear it?"

            She looked up at him and smiled a little again. "I should finish this..."

            He shrugged. "You can finish doing that while I play. I'd like to play for you."

            Elizaveta amusedly shook her head and sighed. "Very well. I'll put these things on a cart and take it to the ballroom so I can polish while I listen to you play."

            Edelstein smiled and nodded. After he left to go to the ballroom, she went to grab a serving cart they used for carrying trays and dishes. She put the silverware carefully on the cart and wheeled it to her destination. She always liked listening to him play...

**∞ ∞ ∞ ∞**

            Feliciano had finished cleaning the iron grate in the parlor and had a quick moment to take a look at the mysterious letter. It was anonymous but he had an idea on who it could be from. His heart hammered in anticipation as he broke the seal. The handwriting was far different on the actual letter than it was on the envelope. He could tell no ordinary washerwoman wrote this.

_Dear Feliciano,_

_I know this is rather sudden and it might be a little forward of me to write to you like this. I am writing to you because I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed our time together. Painting together was fun as well. I must confess that I would like to do that again, even though I am sorry to say that I cannot be certain when we could next meet..._

_Even so, if you would ever like to visit, I could happily receive you as I would any friend. Perhaps we could talk some more about Italy! My brother actually has some books on your home country, so I've been doing some reading. I know I would like to talk to you about it! I'm sure hearing about a place from someone who is actually from there is far more interesting than just reading about it!_

_I look forward to receiving a response from you, or even a visit from you!_

_Until we meet again,_

_Elise Zwingli_

          He could hardly believe what he was looking at. Elise had sent him a letter! He eyed the letter for minutes on end, drinking up the contents. What lovely penmanship she had! How it flowed over the paper in perfect lines! The letters were curved in such a delicate way and each t was crossed and each i was dotted perfectly.

            And then the words themselves; it was a bit odd from someone of her status to write to someone like him, inviting him over to visit, even. It was like she was talking to an old friend and it charmed him. He couldn't help but read in between the lines as well. It was as if she secretly was sending him another message in fewer words: _I want to see you again._

Perhaps it was foolish and perhaps this "affair" (if they could call it that) would end badly, but Feliciano wasn't one to look ahead and think of the future - or its consequences - often. He believed Elise wanted to see him, and he wanted to see her. He longed to see her again. He wanted to know more about her.

            Feliciano discarded the blacking fluid and quickly headed up to this room without speaking to Elizaveta or anyone else. He grappled around for some paper and any form of ink. After a minute of searching, he found two sheets of paper, a roughly-hewn pen - but no ink.

            He was at a loss at what to do. He didn't really want to ask for ink from anyone and he had no money for ink since the only money he had was going to be used for postage. He sighed, feeling disheartened. So much or writing back to Elise...

               Then he had an idea. He didn't know how well it would work, but it was worth a try. Since painting was his favorite thing to do - besides eating and sleeping, of course - he had several tools: paint, brushes, and charcoal sticks. Figuring the paint would be too runny, he decided he would try writing his letter in the charcoal stick. He grabbed one and began writing on the paper with it.

_Dear Elise,_

            It was a little messy. The charcoal smudged easily and left stray marks every time he wrote a letter. It was to be expected, though, since this was a tool for art and not writing; at least it was visible enough. He sighed in relief and kept writing as carefully as possible.

            _I received your letter with great pleasure and excitement. Thank you for your invitation. I would love to visit you and even though I do work, I will do my utmost to try and see you._

_If you don't mind me saying so, I have enjoyed our meetings very much and I have been wanting to see you. Perhaps we can paint something again! I could give you some more instructions, though I think you have quite an artistic eye already._

_I look forward to see you again, dear lady. For now, though, I'm afraid I have to end this letter. I ran out of ink and I am making a mess with this charcoal stick. Please forgive me if this is all smudged._

_I will eagerly be waiting for your next letter. Until then, I remain,_

_Your faithful servant,_

_Feliciano Vargas._

            He looked at the letter, eyeing it suspiciously. He was sure the contents were awkward and much too flattering, but he couldn't change it. He blew on the paper, hoping it would dry and that the words wouldn't smudge. It definitely looked like charcoal and he sighed.

            _Oh well..._ He shrugged. He was about to get it ready for mailing when he had yet another idea. Taking a paintbrush, he dipped it carefully into some paint that was lying around and began to draw on the blank side of the letter. He finished and smiled at the small bunny, eating a carrot in some grass.

            _Elise will love it,_ he thought. After blowing on the tiny painting a little, he soon got the envelope ready. He wrote the address of Elise Zwingli on the envelope and melted some wax off of his one lone candle sitting on his table. The envelope was soon ready and he folded the letter up into the envelope, sealing it with the melted wax.

            "I'm going to town! Is there anything I need to get?" He asked, hopping down the steep back stairs into the kitchen.

            Elizaveta was back, having finished shining the silverware earlier. She was now in the kitchen helping the cook prepare dinner. She looked surprised to see Feliciano willing to go out.

            "Oh, well, we need you here right now, Feli," she said hesitantly. "You need to go out to the stables and mind the animals and check the garden for weeds."

            "What?" Feliciano paused, foot frozen in mid-air, beginning to put on his outdoor boots. "I thought that was Dániel's job?"

            The cook and Elizaveta exchanged glanced and Elizaveta sighed. "Dániel's out running errands." She shook her head. He had been "running errands" for the past couple of hours.

            Felicano's shoulder's sagged and he nodded. "All right. Let me just change out of my nicer shirt..."

            He quickly went upstairs to change. He felt crushed; he had hoped to go buy postage and mail the letter in town. Now he would have to wait to mail it with the rest of the help's mail at the house.

            Now changed into less nicer clothing, he went out to the stable and fed the horses, cleaned their stalls - though the shovel was nearly too heavy for him when it was full of manure - and then went to the garden. It had been newly renovated and there was a lovely fountain in the midst of the greenery. it was a lovely looking structure, simple yet elegant in design.

            The whole area looked similar to the gardens at the Zwingli house. It made Feliciano think of those lovely but few short minutes he and Elise had shared, drawing and getting closer. He sighed as he grabbed the gardening tools and began weeding out the garden. He tried to remember what plants were weeds and which ones weren't. But he still thought of Elise through it all. After a little while of this tedious work, he put the spade down and took his gloves off. Confound it all, it wasn't fair! What was Dániel doing? How come _he_ got to be out and about, leaving Feliciano stuck to do the work which - technically - wasn't his to do?

            He stubbornly frowned and rose up from the ground. The garden was mostly done and he figured he could slip away for a little bit to deliver his letter without being missed. Now that he knew exactly where the Zwingli house was, he could make quick work of it. Maybe he'd even see Elise!

            His heart was pounding. He did shirk off his duties from time to time, but that was usually during a busy evening party when he wouldn't be missed right away. This was intentionally abandoning a task...

            _All I have to do is get there, deliver the letter, and come back,_ he thought. _It shouldn't take too long!_

He put the spade down and headed to the stables. Some the of the hired hands were there, caring to the horses.

            "Excuse me," he said hesitantly.

            One of the men turned and glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "Yeah?"

            "I - er - I need a horse," he stammered.

            "What for?"

            "I have to deliver a letter."

            "Does Mr. Edelstein know about this?" The man asked, suspiciously.

            Feliciano groaned. "Look, I promise I'll only be gone for a minute. Nobody will miss me!"

            The man still looked hesitant. "It could cost me or the others our jobs.."

            Feliciano clenched his hands. "I'll feed and water and take care of the horse myself. I'll bear all responsibility if anything happens!"

            The man still hesitated, but after a minute he sighed. "Very well. But if anything bad does happen, then it's on _your_ head!"

            Feliciano nodded. "Of course. Thank you, sir! I won't be long." With that, he  dashed into the stable and disappeared into one of the horses' stalls.

            The stable worker shook his head and left to go grab something to drink. It wasn't going to be his problem if the lad was let go, he adamantly thought.

            Not long after, Feliciano was making his way through the acres of Edelstein land, crossing over into the land of the Zwinglis, which was much smaller. The journey took about twenty minutes, only because he knew the land and took paths that would make his travels faster. He hadn't calculated on what that way of travel would lead to though, and to his surprise, he found himself on the skirts of the Zwingli garden. He remembered the hedges that surrounded it and the sound of the fountain. He dismounted from the horse, leaving the reins on the ground so the horse would stay in its place. The horse seemed fine with this, bowing its head to munch on some grass.

            Feliciano wasn't sure what to do next. He could try to find his way into the garden, perhaps by climbing over the hedges. But that seemed to risky. Another option was to find his way around to the front courtyard, though a servant might spy him and mistake him for a sneak thief. The young man sighed and looked down at his letter mournfully.

            Suddenly, there was a sound of a door opening and he thought he could hear someone humming. It sounded like a woman. His eyes widened and he peered through the hedges.

            Elise was out in the garden, looking at the flowers. She had a basket under her arm and a pair of scissors, seemingly. Under her pinafore, she wore a long lilac dress and a woolen shawl was around her shoulders, which intrigued Feliciano. It was a relatively warm day, with a mere breeze blowing, hardly weather people would call chilly. Her golden hair was let down this time, in two long braids. He thought she was absolutely adorable.

            She sniffed a little and took out a handkerchief. Before she was able to begin picking flowers, she let out a little sneeze.

            "Bless you!" He couldn't help but say.

            Her head shot up and she looked around in surprise.

            "Who's there? Feliciano?" She exclaimed. She recognized that voice very quickly.

            He felt his cheeks growing warm and cleared his throat. "Y-yeah... It's me." He peeked his head through the hedges and saw her standing a little further away by some patches of flowers. Her eyes were as wide as saucers.

            "What are you doing here?" She hissed as if afraid someone would overhear her. She rushed over to the hedges where he was.

            No doubt his cheeks were bright red by now. "I - ah - I.." He stammered. Now that he thought about this, he did seem rather ridiculous.

            "I was delivering a letter," he admitted, after looking up at her bemused face for a moment. "I just went a different way other than the main road, and didn't realize I'd end up here." He smiled sheepishly.

            She smiled, now very amused, and admittedly a little excited. Since his appearance was also so unexpected, she even felt a bit of a thrill.

            "I can take that letter. That is, if you want me to..." She said hesitatingly. She didn't want him to leave just yet.

            A funny sort of grin came over his face. "Well, my lady, the letter is, in fact, for you."

            She looked surprised. "Is it? All right then! I'll - here, let me open the gate for you."

            She pointed to the left and turned to walk in that direction. Feliciano did the same and found that there was a small wooden gate in between the hedges a couple of yards down from where he had been standing. Elise was there and unlatched the gate for him.

            "Thank you for letting me in," he spoke, remembering his manners.

            She giggled. "Not at all." Before she said anything else, she glanced back to the house. After a moment's hesitation, she beckoned him to follow her.

            "Come, we'll sit down in the gazebo. It's not in full view of the house, so we won't be spotted."

            He nodded and followed her. "Right."

            Feliciano understood what she was implying. If her brother or Emil or any other person saw him talking with Elise in the garden, he had a feeling there would be trouble.

            Now, sitting together in the gazebo, they both weren't really sure what to say. His visit had been very unexpected and they both had only really been able to spend time - borrowed time - for a few short intervals.

            Elise took a deep breath. She felt a little nervous for some reason.

            "Um..."

            He glanced over at her. "Yes?"

            She smiled a little. "Would it be all right if I read your letter now?"

            He chuckled a little. "That's fine! I don't mind when you read it! I'm just glad I got to deliver it to you in person." He said brightly.

            She giggled. "Well, I'm just going to peruse it quickly." She opened the seal and began to read. After a minute, she let out a little cough and daintily covered her mouth with the handkerchief.

            Feliciano had been enjoying just watching her, thinking how graceful and pretty she was. A perplexed frown came over his face when she began to cough.

            "Are you feeling unwell?" He asked.

            She paused her reading and glanced up at him. "Oh, I'm all right." She tried to reassure him. "It's just a little cough I can't seem to get rid of."

            His eyes widened. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

            She shrugged ever so slightly. "Not very often... I mean, I've always been a little sickly!" She continued quickly when she noticed he looked concerned. She thought it was sweet of him.

            "That's one of the reasons why my brother and I moved here a little over a year ago."

            His eyes were wider now. "I see. Where did you live before?"

            "We used to live in a big, bustling city. That's where we grew up," she answered. "When I became sick a few years ago, the doctors said the dirty streets and the smoky air were bad for my lungs."

            Elise sighed and lowered the letter. "Feliciano, even though we've only known each other for such a short while, I feel like I can trust you. That's not silly, is it?"

            He smiled a little. "I don't think it is!"

            She seemed a little relieved. "Then I can rely on you to keep what I'm going to tell you private?"

            He reached for her hand; his smile comforting. "Of course I will."

            She looked a little surprised at his gesture, but slowly smiled and gently squeezed his hand.

            "I'm so glad. I figured I could tell you this, since you're - well - You're not like the others..."

            He seemed amused now. "You mean because I'm poor?"

            She blushed. "I don't mean to be rude!"

            He laughed a little and laid his other hand on her shoulder. "It's all right, _bella._ I'm not upset."

            She seemed relieved and took a deep breath. "Well.." She paused, realizing how close they were with his hand on her shoulder like that. It made her blush deeper. His eyes widened a little, as if realizing the same thing, and he quickly backed away, letting go of her hand as well.

            He cleared his throat. "Er, sorry.. You were going to tell me about yourself..?" He guessed, looking down at his boots.

            She quickly shook her head. "N-no. It's all right..." Her hands clasped together and she also looked down at her own boots.

            "Yes... As I was saying..." She tried to banish her embarrassment (and strong reaction to him) away as she continued. "My brother and I... We seem wealthy, I'm sure. You would think the two of us have always been accustomed to such luxuries as these, right?"

            He wasn't sure where she was going with this so he merely nodded. She then smiled and began to look a little  sheepish.

            "The truth of the matter is, we haven't always been this well-off. In fact, when we were young, we were quite middle class!" She laughed a little.

            Feliciano looked stunned. When she laughed, he couldn't help but emit a chuckle himself.

            "Say it isn't so!" He teased.

            "It's true! I'm afraid Basch and I are very normal, mundane people." She shrugged, not really perturbed with this fact. "It was all because of him that we became this wealthy at all."

            "How scandalous," he teased again. It made Elise giggle. "I feel like there is a long story behind this," he said, leaning back in his seat.

            She nodded and glanced around the garden, once again making sure there wasn't anyone around.

            "There is a bit of one, if you don't mind listening."

            He shook his head. "I don't mind at all! I...I want to know more about you..." He admitted. He cleared his throat. "Well... I-I mean... That might be a bit too forward..."

            "I don't mind!" Elise exclaimed, feeling her heart skip a beat. "I think that's very kind of you..."

            They were quiet again. Then Elise smoothed out her skirts and took another deep breath.

            "Our parents were merchants. We lived in a nice little house that connected to a shop, and my father sold all sorts of things. We didn't have much, compared to some, but we were happy..." She rubbed her arms as the memories of her childhood came back to her.

            "Well, I was only eight years old, or so, when our father fell ill. He couldn't work and we had to give up the shop as business started going bad. The doctor's bills were drowning out all of our finances, so we couldn't pay our debts." She bowed her head. "We were run out of our home; lost a lot of our valuables..."

            Feliciano listened in surprise. He had no idea her life had even an inkling of hardship, and now he was finding out she had lost her home! Even he, who hardly had any money to his name, had never lost his home. And yet, Elise was so kind and sweet. She was genteel and graceful, as if she had always been wealthy. He found her tale a very curious one and waited for her to continue.

            "When my father died, my brother decided to enlist in the militia to keep us from going to the poorhouse. Mother and I had a little money saved so we were able to rent a smaller apartment in the city while we lived on the earnings he sent to us.

            "By the time I was fifteen, Basch was nineteen and becoming a very well-known soldier." She took a deep breath. "We thought things were going to be all right, but then fever spread through parts of the city, including ours, and mother and I both fell ill. Mother wasn't the same after Father died. I think his death really affected her, and she was left very weak. Basch knew some friends out in the country who could care for us, as I couldn't do it on my own.

            "I was able to get some schooling there, when I wasn't feeling too ill. Basch tried to visit us as much as he could, but his visits were few and far between, and mother never got better. It was there, in a country hospital where...she died..."

            Elise felt a pressure on her hand and found that Feliciano had laid his hand upon hers. They smiled at each other and Elise felt comforted.

            "Basch returned in time for Mother's funeral, now changed. He had become an honorable Captain who had come into some money - I don't know exactly how. He said he had rescued an older Colonel from death during a battle and the two had become friends. When the man learned of our situation, Basch said he bestowed a generous amount of money to him. It was through this that Basch came to fetch me and we started living an easier life.

            "A year ago, the old Colonel passed away and he left most of his money to Basch. As a result, we were able to buy a house out here, for my health." She looked away. "We've had a hard time of it. I'm still now getting used to being more genteel, though the lessons I had when I lived with Mother did help. Basch still has to be away for days, sometimes months on end, but life has been easier. I only wish..."

            She paused again. "I only wish our parents were still here. I would trade all the status and money to have them back again."

            He nodded. "I know. Family is very important..." He looked away. Now he felt a pressure on his hand and he saw their fingers were intertwined.

            "No one else knows the full story and if they did, I have a feeling we wouldn't be treated the same. But it's not the society or the wealth or the status that either of us truly care about. My brother just wants us to have a good life... and I have a feeling that includes me marrying someone who is wealthy so he can take care of me."

            She said that last part with some hesitance. In all honesty, she wasn't sure why she said that.

            Feliciano looked out among the flowers and shrubs. "I see," he murmured.

            Elise looked at him, studying his profile. He really did have fine features, though why she was thinking about that at a time like this, she had no idea.

            "I-I'm glad I can talk to you about this..." She spoke quietly. "You're the first person besides my brother that I feel like I can be myself with. And it's not just because you understand my situation..."

            He quickly looked back at her and smiled. "That pleases me, Elise. And I will always have an open ear if you need to talk to someone," he said earnestly.

            He truly was glad she felt that way. He felt the same towards her, and began to wonder if it was because she had been through poverty like him. He had always thought she seemed different. Even though she could be shy, she was never patronizing or snobbish. Now he began to understand; she could understand him. She could relate to him.

            As they smiled at each other, Elise felt her heart beating faster and she held his hand in both of hers. His eyes widened and he couldn't help but scoot closer to her. She didn't move away.

            "Oh, I wish..." She started to speak, but flushed and stopped.

            Now his heart was beating faster and without thinking, he cupped her cheek with his hand. Her skin was soft and warm.

            "You wish..?"

            She opened her mouth as if to finish but just then ---

            "Elise?"

            The two jumped and jolted apart. The sound of the ladies' maid calling for her could be heard from the house.

            "Elise!"

            The young lady in question sighed in exasperation. "I have to go."

            Feliciano sighed as well and the two stood, walking back over to the little wooden gate. He opened it and then turned to her.

            "Can I see you again?" He asked, taking her hand once more.

            She bit her lip. "I don't know..."

            The ladies' maid's voice called out again, and it was coming closer to the garden doors.

            "You can write to me, though!" Elise exclaimed. "Please write to me, so at least we can still talk to each other, even it cannot be in person."

            Feliciano lifted that little hand to his lips and kissed her palm.

            "I swear I will."

            A lovely smile came over her face and her cheeks turned a shade of pink.

            "And I swear I will answer," she replied. "Hopefully that will tide us over until we can meet again."

            He shook his hand a laughed a little. "It is a poor replacement for your actual company, but it'll have to do."

            She nodded, feeling the same way.

            "Goodbye, then. Until next we meet."

            He nodded. _"Ciao, bella,"_ he said quietly, kissing her hand once more.

            As he sped off into the trees, Elise went back inside. She still had his letter, kept in the pocket of her pinafore. The maid informed her that her brother was looking for her. After a brief exchange with him over some inconsequential matter, she excused herself due to a headache and retreated to her room.

            She did not have a headache, of course. It was simply her heart, being very full. Clutching Feliciano's letter in her hands, she ate up his sweet words, admiring the way he wrote them. She giggled like a school girl when she saw the little picture of a rabbit in the bottom corner and kissed the paper gently.

            She would have to answer his letter right away, longing to continue to have some connection with him. She also decided to look up what the word _bella_ meant in Italian and her young heart fluttered when she found it translated into "beautiful."

            How could she have denied earlier what her heart was so obviously and insistently telling her? Though he was poor, a servant and Italian, she knew without a doubt now that she was in love with him. Oh, there would be problems in the future, no doubt, if they took things further, but at that moment, she chose to ignore those thoughts. Instead, she thought about Feliciano, and what she would say to him in her next letter.


	9. What I Want

"Maria, this has gone on long enough."

Maria Beilschmidt sat in the back parlor of the house that she grew up in. With one glance, she could look out and see the grounds where she had played with her brothers and sister as a little girl. She had played with the Hédervary siblings there as well, when their parents worked for her family. Those were fond memories. She had such an idealistic childhood and she only wished she could go back to that time when nothing troubled or affected them.

She glanced up at her father - a tall, stern man with golden hair that was starting to show signs of age. Silver lines were scattered amongst the golden strands of his short ponytail. The man was upset and staring severely down at his youngest child.

"Your little charade in the convent is becoming tedious and we're starting to get fed up with you shirking your duties, both as a nun and as a daughter."

She gulped a little but lifted her chin in a defiant manner.

"You expect me to reject the oath I swore to the church so quickly?" She demanded, frowning.

"It was not an oath you took seriously!" Lord Beilschmidt waved of her arguments with a swipe of his hand.

"How can you know what my intentions are?" Maria exclaimed, getting angry. "You do not know my thoughts, Father!"

"Do not speak to your father that way," interjected Lady Beilschmidt. "We have it on good authority that you have been forgetting your responsibilities as a nun. Were you not gallivanting about with that Hungarian a few days ago?"

Maria paled and clenched her hands.

"How did you know that?"

"Gilbert saw you. It wasn't hard to make out who you were or who you were with."

Maria felt like she had been betrayed.

"So now you're spying on me?" She leapt out of her seat. Her fists were shaking. "You send Gilbert after me to follow and mark everything I do?" She was nearly shouting.

"After that boy came here asking about you to Gilbert, we knew we needed to keep an eye on you both. After seeing you two together, when you were forbidden to go near him, we knew you couldn't be trusted." Her father retorted. Her yelling was not affecting him.

"Your time as a nun is over. You are to return here by tomorrow afternoon."

"I will not!" She cried out. "I will not return to this house to be given away to a man I do not love!" Her chest heaved up and down, revealing passions she had long been repressing in the convent.

"You will do as you're told," her father said coldly. "Do not burst out so violently at me again. There will be consequences."

Maria slowly sat back down in her chair, overcome by all the conflicting emotions brewing inside. She glanced over at Gilbert, who was seated off in a corner, looking quite troubled. He avoided her gaze and looked into the fire. She felt her throat tighten; her brother was not going to help her and upon realizing that, she buried her face in her hands. She then began to cry.

A hand rested on her shoulder but she did not move.

"Maria, dear, please try to understand. We're only thinking of what's best for you," her mother said softly.

 _What's **best** for me? _ Maria thought incredulously.

"You may think you love that young man, but love can only provide so much. And who's to say you won't find love with another?"

Maria lowered her hands and glared at her mother.

"Who's to say I won't wind up the same way Louise did either?" She retorted.

Lady Beilschmidt jerked her hand away and recoiled from her daughter as if stung.

"Maria!" Gilbert hissed.

"You know what happened to her after you married her off to that excuse of a man and Viscount," Maria continued angrily, ignoring the angered and horrified expressions on her family's faces.

"I saw a lot of things when I went to visit her; I heard things too. She wouldn't tell me when something was wrong but I know full well what he was doing to her. The marks on her arms were proof enough."

She stared her father full in the face and stood again. "We all knew what was going on, but we didn't do anything; we didn't stop it. _You_ didn't stop it!" She clenched her fists. "And I'd rather live a life in seclusion than go marry a man I do not know, who might drive me to despair like Louise!" Her voice was raised and her face was flushed as she vented all of her anger and emotions. She was tired of holding her feelings back; of being unable to tell anyone how she felt about her poor sister.

Gilbert and her mother were so astonished, they didn't say anything in response. Gilbert covered his face with his hands, hiding the grief written on his features while their mother just stared out the window. But their father, the Master of the house, just stared at his daughter stonily. There was no sign of emotion on his face.

"Do not speak to me about your sister. Not another word. You have until tomorrow evening to pack your things and return to this house, or you will be forcefully removed from the abbey. After that I will think up some punishment for you. Now get out of my sight."

Maria just stared at him for a moment in shock. There was no sign of relenting. Her father had a heart of steel. Neither did her mother or brother say or do anything to deter him. Had Ludwig been there, he might have done something, but he was off with the army, being the dutiful son he was.

Looking up at her father, she knew nothing she could say would affect him. She was not like her brothers. Gilbert was the heir to the estate, and taking care of the house's affairs like the firstborn son was supposed to. Ludwig was an honorable soldier, rising in the ranks. Both sons made their father proud.

Then there were the daughters, herself and Louise. What was their purpose? They could do nothing but sit around and wait for their futures to come to them. Louise had done what she was supposed to do and got married off (look how that turned out, Maria thought derisively). And then there was herself. She probably could be considered a disappointment by many. She had always been a wild thing, running about with her brothers, not wanting to marry. Being a nun was probably her family's last resort to make her honorable and to them, she botched that up.

And now, she was witnessing firsthand her father's anger and disapproval. Never on her deepest fears or darkest imaginings did she think her family would treat her this way. She felt like they were basically threatening to disown her. Thinking back, as she was escorted to the door, nothing had been the same ever since her sister died. News about her death had spread quickly and there were many rumors as to what had happened.

Everyone knew Louise's husband had no real affection for her. Many saw it plainly when he was away from her, frolicking about the city with several women (some of which were not women of good repute either). Of course, there was nothing Louise could do. Her marriage tied her family to her husband's privileged connections and it was unthinkable that they separate.

 _I wish you could just leave him!_ Maria exclaimed on one of the few occasions she was allowed to come visit her sister and brother-in-law. _It's obvious he's not treating you well! Why can't you just stay with us, at least!_

Louise would just smile at her, her blue eyes watching her sadly.

_My duty is with my husband. He can be really loving when he is in the right mood - when he is not drunk..._

Maria would try to protest but would always get stopped.

_He needs me to keep him grounded. I cannot abandon him._

Louise had always been a quiet, peace-loving girl. She never wanted confrontation and even though she had only stood a mere couple of inches shorter that her husband, she could be easily intimidated. That was why her father had roped her so easily into marriage with such a wastrel of a man, and that was why she never had left her husband - at least, not until it was too late.

Maria could still vividly remember the last time they spoke together, on a rare day her sister was allowed to leave her husband's house.

 _I feel like I'm suffocating in that place, Maria,_ she had whispered almost desperately. _I wish I could stay here..._

 _Then you should!_ Maria had exclaimed, taking her sister's hands. _Tell that rake of a man that you want to see us again! Come up with some excuse or something and then we'll find a way to keep you here! Don't let him bully you anymore!_

Maria could still see the sad smile on her sister's face, as if Louise had just visited her yesterday as she thought about it. Then she had said, in a small voice,

_Maybe I will. I'm afraid of him, but perhaps if I ask very kindly, he'll let me..._

_Yeah! The least you could do is ask!_ Maria had encouraged, honestly thinking all would be well.

Louise had wound up dead the next morning. The authorities had ruled it as a suicide; an understandable supposition since everyone knew how unfaithful her husband had been. Many of the servants of his house had remarked that she had been quite depressed during the last month of her life, so to the public it was a sad, closed case.

Maria expected more, though. She knew what Louise had told her, and she had seen signs of mistreatment from her husband. She had a feeling Louise had unknowingly said or did something to anger him and one thing led to another. This was circumstantial evidence, of course. She couldn't prove any of it and no one had believed her, not even her family. The way Louise had died seemed very suicidal in appearance. Soon the subject of Louise became a taboo and no one would speak of her. Her husband had vanished from their midst, leaving broken hearts and unanswered questions.

Maria left the house, refusing an escort to walk her back to the abbey. She hadn't even bothered to ask for a ride or even a horse. She wanted to be alone. As she headed back, her thoughts lingered on her sister's memory. Since Louise's death, she had become the next "victim" to be submitted to potential wealthy suitors. She would have rather died than to be roped into a marriage of convenience. Nunnery had been the next best thing to death and she had quickly submitted to the vows of chastity. She knew her father probably saw it as defiance, but he hadn't refused her, since their family was rather religious.

Suddenly her mind drifted to another person: Dániel. Her heart began to beat faster. She loved him; had loved him since they were children. She had been fully aware of his feelings for her as well, long before he had told her of them. But what could she do? Her family had cast both Elizaveta and Dániel off and would not accept him if she asked to marry him. They'd made that perfectly clear.

He had been the second reason why she'd become a nun. She could only be with one man and since he was out of the question, her passionate nature had recklessly chosen the extreme alternative. Oh, but what torture it was to separate herself from him when he approached her.

No matter what she did, he wouldn't leave her alone. No matter how many times she spurned him and rejected him, he was always seeking her out.

 _Does he not realize it kills me?_ She thought angrily. _Does he not know how tormented I am every time I see his face?!_

She scrubbed tears of anger and frustration off of her cheeks as she made her way down the road. It took a while before she reached town, where she would turn down another path to head to the abbey. She was tired and thirsty and felt abandoned by her family. Her father's ultimatum made her want to cry even more.

She was soon at the town's square and sat down at the edge of the elegant fountain in the center of the area, not caring if anyone saw her with her head in her hands. Suddenly, a leather jerkin bottle appeared before her eyes. An upward glance showed her that it was Dániel holding it. Maria gulped and looked away.

"You've been crying," he said quietly.

She didn't reply.

"Here." He sat down beside her and urged her to take the bottle. "Drink it. It's just water."

She took a shuddering breath and did as he ordered. Once she got a good mouthful of it, she handed the bottle back to him. It did help her tightened throat.

"Thank you," she whispered. She still wouldn't look at him but did feel his hand grasp hers. It made her heart beat faster.

Dániel watched her, worriedly. Seeing her crying there made his chest hurt. He wished there was something he could do to make her happy.

She had told him everything: why she had joined a convent, what happened to her sister, what her family wanted to do. It broke his heart to see her so sad and desperate. Maria didn't belong in the abbey. She was too free spirited, too passionate. He knew she must have been suffocating in that pious place.

It frustrated him. Why couldn't they be together? Why did such conventions hold such sway over peoples' lives? He didn't have money or a family that could give him money, but he was a hard worker. He would do anything in his power to make Maria happy. He only wished he could find a way to tell her that.

He felt her hand slip out of his and he focused his gaze on her again.

"What happened?" He asked before she slipped away from him further.

Maria wiped a few stray tears away. "I was seen talking to you," she said after a minute. "My father found out."

Dániel frowned.

"He knows," she glanced up at him. "He knows you asked after me. You told Gilbert about your feelings for me."

He nodded. "I did." He replied. He wasn't ashamed about it, either.

She clasped her hands together, almost desperately. "Well, now my parents are tightening their hold on me." She stood. "I am to leave the abbey by tomorrow or they're going to come and get me."

Dániel's eyes widened. "Wh-what?" He stood up as well. "Couldn't your fellow nuns do something?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to get them involved. Besides," she smiled wryly, "my father can be very persuasive."

His fists clenched. "And you? What will happen to you?" He asked quietly.

She looked up at the sky.

"No doubt I'll be taken to the city and be set up with a husband; just like Louise.." she whispered.

Dániel set his jaw angrily. She was giving up, just like that? What happened to her fighting spirit? What happened to the anger she showed him when she demanded that he leave her alone? She couldn't go along with this! He thought. He wasn't even thinking about himself at this point. He was afraid that she would end up living a dull, loveless life, married to some old fellow that stayed in his study all day. What had  happened to Louise was tragic, but he knew a fate like that wasn't as common. No, he had a feeling that instead Maria would be alone, suffocated in a rigid cold world of rules and propriety. She would be alive, but she wouldn't be _living._

He snatched her hand and pulled her away - away from the town, and away from her home. They walked along the road that led to the abbey and didn't stop. Maria was too shocked to protest and soon had to worry about catching her breath to really say anything, since Dániel was walking so fast.

Further along the road, he pulled her to the side into the brush. Her back came into contact with a tree and she stared up at him, shocked.

"What do you think you're doing?" She demanded in an angry voice, despite her shaking hands at her sides.

He gripped the tree trunk. "You can't - you can't do this, Maria," he said fiercely.

Now her hands balled into fists. "And why not?" She demanded.

"You know why," he replied. "Because you cannot marry someone you do not love. Because the thought of being trapped in a cold marriage, living in their stifling world scares you."

He framed her face with his hands. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed.

"I know you too well, Maria. And I know the other reason you joined the convent, though you wouldn't tell me."

She looked angry again. "You're imagining things!" She exclaimed, a bit desperately, he thought.

He smiled. "Am I?"

Without warning, he then dipped his face close to hers and kissed her. Maria gasped a little and placed her hands on his chest as if to push him away, but she didn't stop him. Instead, her eyes slid shut and soon her arms moved to wrap around his neck. It wasn't long before she was kissing him back.

Dániel took a deep breath and continued to kiss her, now wrapping his arms around her and pressing his hands on her back. It was an interesting sight, seeing this tall, dark man holding the small, petite nun in his embrace, her back pressed to a tree.

Their lips parted after a few minutes and he gently smiled at her.

"You love me, don't you, Maria?" He murmured.

The lady squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face in his chest.

"God help me, I do..." she whispered. "And I cannot bear to be parted from you." She uttered those passionate words without a second thought.

His hands gripped her habit.

"Then don't order me to leave you," he replied in a low voice. It was a selfish request, but he didn't care. He knew there was little time he had left with her.

Maria was quiet for a bit. Then she pulled back and took his hand.

"Come with me," she told him. He squeezed her hand and nodded.

Maria led him towards the abbey, going by a back route where the garden door was located. The garden was connected to the nuns' quarters of the abbey, a separate area from the rest of the building.

Dániel hesitated the closer they got to the building's back door and she smiled at him.

"They're all out, doing charity work," she assured him. "I was to go, but my father sent for me instead."

Dániel nodded and allowed her to lead him inside and down the stone hallways until they reached a door. He stopped.

"Maria.." he whispered, suddenly nervous. "Are you sure?"

She just smiled at him and opened the door that led to her humble bedchambers.

"I'm done trying to do what everyone else wants," she said firmly. Once the door closed behind them, she wrapped her arms around him.

"I only what to do what I want, and I only want one thing.."

He smiled and held her in his arms. He had a feeling he might be damned to Hell for this, but at the moment, he didn't care...

**.....**

It was still dark out when Dániel opened his eyes again. He looked around at the sparse bedroom. There was only a small desk, a trunk and a little table for a wash basin and towel. A window looking out to the garden was to the right of the bed, with plain curtains covering it.

He spotted the nun's habit hanging off of the foot of Maria's small bed and took a deep breath. Well, what was done was done and he wouldn't have traded anything for the past wonderful couple of hours, but he knew that the sun would probably rise soon and he couldn't stay.

He looked down at the pale figure cuddled up against him under the blankets and he smiled. How could he bear to leave her? She was so beautiful and wonderful. He wrapped his arm around her and brushed his fingers through her hair. He couldn't let her leave and go back to her family. They would never see each other again! Just the thought of it pained him.

 _If only there was something I could do to keep her with me..._ he thought sadly. Looking at her sleeping face, he sighed. Then his eyes widened. Perhaps...

Maria began to stir and slowly opened her eyes. Seeing Dániel watching her made her smile.

"How long have you been awake?" She muttered.

He smiled. "For a few minutes."

"What time is it?" Her fingers caressed his chest.

He glanced over to the window. "Nearly dawn, I'd wager."

Sadness came over her face. "Oh..."

"I'm afraid so. I must leave soon," he spoke regretfully.

Her brows furrowed and she clung to him. "I won't let you," she uttered childishly.

He chuckled and held her close to him, nuzzling into her neck.

"Then I won't leave," he whispered.

She sighed happily and her hands drifted to his back, stroking his skin. The two of them lay there, cuddling under her blankets. Their legs were tangled together and they shared soft kisses. Maria thought she was in heaven.

Even so, it began to grow lighter out and Dániel sat up.

"Maria, I must go. If they catch us, you will not only be excommunicated from the church, but your family..."

She sat up as well.

"I don't care."

"No, you must. Last night was..." he smiled, "indescribable, and I'll never forget it. But I don't want to see you ruined."

Maria smiled as well. She framed his face with her hands and kissed him softly.

"Didn't you tell me yesterday you couldn't bear to see me wind up in a cold marriage?" She teased.

He hesitated. "Well, yes..."

"And yet you want me to go back?" She laughed a little at his pained face. She could tell he was torn.

"I told you. I'm done with doing what everyone else wants of me. I want to do what I want now. I want to be with you."

His eyes softened and his hand stroked down one of her arms. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to be with her too, but they could never marry. Not here.

Of course, there was an alternative... The thought had occurred to him as he lay there watching her. Those few weeks ago, after she told him about her sister, he had begun to seriously think about his future. Without Maria, there was no life for him here in this town. He considered leaving, going abroad to America perhaps, and starting a new life. He knew how to care for plants and animals, and he had money saved, so he had considered starting a farm. The thought had occurred to him on more than one occasion.

Now, being here with Maria, hearing her pledge herself to him in his arms, he began to wonder...

"Maria..."

"Yes?" She whispered, her hands stroking his cheeks.

He gulped. "I... After we talked that day about your sister and you said we could never be together, I began making plans...

"I decided I wouldn't stay here any longer. I would leave for America to start a farm. I still plan to do so. I know how to care for livestock and plants. Running a house wouldn't be too hard either..."

He took a deep breath and held her hands.

"Maria, would you consider..."

Her eyes widened.

"You want me to come with you? To America?"

He looked down at their hands. "I have enough money saved up to sail overseas and then buy supplies to start a farm. It is a lot to ask you, since it means you'd be disowned by your family. Plus the life we'd have; it would be hard. There would be no luxuries and I don't even know if we would be successful.

"I love you, but if you want to be with me, this is what our life would be..."

Maria thought about his request as he spoke. She thought about what would happen if she ran away with him. He would be the only family she'd have left. She knew her parents would disown her in a heartbeat And yet, she had no real close bonds with either of them. She was a disappointment, a nuisance due to her passionate nature. Gilbert and Ludwig were more important than her and Louise had been the favorite. She wouldn't be missed.

Plus, ever since living with the nuns, she had grown accustomed to harsh living. She did her own cleaning now and had even learned to cook. It had been ages since she had worn an elegant dress.

Yes, the more she thought about it, the more working on a farm with Dániel as his _wife,_ sounded exciting. It would be an adventure - the biggest one of her life!

Dániel was surprised when she gave him a big smile and hugged him.

"I'm coming with you. There's nothing left for me here. Besides," she continued despite his protests, "it sounds like it'll be an adventure and you know how I've always wanted to see new places!"

Dániel thought it too good to be true.

"You are certain? I meant it when I said we would have no luxuries. We would be poor."

A stubborn glint appeared in her eye, something he hadn't seen in a while.

"All the more interesting it will be! Or do you think I'm living like a queen right now?" She asked sarcastically.

He chuckled. "True... I guess the life of a nun is quite humble as well.."

She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'll be fine. There's nothing I want more now than to be with you. We'll get married and then we'll see if we can start a new life together."

Dániel could still hardly believe the turn of events, even as Maria packed her trunk and dressed in one of her simple dresses.

"All right.." he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I'll go get my horse and cart. Then we'll decide what to do from there.."

Maria nodded. "Come by the back way - the way we came last night. I'll be in the garden."

He slipped out through her window, running through the garden and down the road. His heart was racing the entire time, as he got to the Edelstein grounds, hitched up his horse to a cart he'd bought himself, and rode all the way back to the abbey. He left the horse and cart a few yards away from the abbey in the brush and sneaked back to the abbey gardens where Maria was waiting with her trunk.

It was a little after dawn, and the nuns and priests were having breakfast when Dániel took Maria's hand and the two dashed out of the garden and down the road. Maria was hardly recognizable, now in a plain dress and cloak with her pale hair pulled back in a simple ponytail.

"There's an inn by the coast, located right at the docks," Dániel said as they drove away from the town. "We can buy a passage to America there. I've got plenty of money saved so we can buy supplies when we land. We'll go west after that." He grinned. "I can't believe it.. You and I.. Starting our lives together.." He murmured.

Maria looked at him and wrapped her arms around his, hugging him. "Believe it, because it's going to happen. I won't let anyone stop us." She said firmly, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

Once the two got back into town, Maria was smart enough to put her hood up so people wouldn't recognize her at first. It was still a bit early so not many people were out and about yet, but it would only be a matter of time before someone would spot them and inform her family.

Dániel worked fast. He had written a letter to his sister and the Edelsteins beforehand, telling them that he had left to start a new life. He had been fortunate enough to get his wages a week earlier. While in town, he left it at the post to be sent later on in the day. As for Maria, she didn't have to worry about writing a letter to anyone; she had left one on her little desk for the nuns to find. By the time her family sent a servant to go get her at the abbey, they were well on their way to the coast.

**.....**

"I want you to find her Gilbert. It's obvious by this letter that she's run off with that Hédervary lad. Damn him, I should have run him off ages ago." Lord Beilschmidt growled, exceedingly angry now.

"If she gets away with this, and leaves the country, we'll be shamed. I can't let that happen." He clapped a strong, firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"Bring her back. That's an order." He said, his gaze piercing into Gilbert's. "I'll come up with the right punishments for her once she's back.." He muttered to himself.

Gilbert took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, I'll go get her.." He took a deep breath and with his father's leave, grabbed his riding gloves from a table and strode out of the house.

He ordered a servant to bring him his horse and he galloped down the road towards the town. It only took a little bit of snooping to find out that people saw Dániel and a hooded woman heading out of town, towards the seaside. They had a few good hours on him, he wasn't sure if he would find them in time before they set sail.

**.....**

It was mid-afternoon; lunch time. Dániel was out, purchasing a spot on a ship that was sailing to America that day while Maria waited and got lunch at the nearby inn. Fortune seemed to be on their side; it almost was too good to be true that they would be able to get a boat right away.

She sat in their rented room, worried. She wasn't worried about what people would think about her, or even if her family would disown her. What she worried about the most was being found and taken away, never to see Dániel again. She didn't know what she would do if that happened.

He was taking too long. Why weren't they able to get on a boat yet? Any moment now, someone could ride  into the small fishing village and discover them. She would be taken away without Dániel knowing...

Every creak and groan in the building made her jump. Footsteps passing by her room made her shake. A couple of times, she almost leapt from her seat to hide under the bed. It was the only thing she could do at this point to escape.

**.....**

Gilbert rode into the small fishing village by the docks and glanced around the few ram shackle houses and shops. People stared at him, not accustomed to seeing someone so finely dressed wandering around.

Matthias was hauling a barrel full of fish out to the front of his shop for people to purchase when Gilbert approached. His eyebrows rose higher up on his forehead, looking just as surprised as his neighbors.

"What are you gawking at?" Emil muttered, coming out from eating a late lunch.

"Look at that dandy," he chuckled, pointing to the gentleman. "What's he doing around here? Taking in the sea air?" He laughed heartily.

Hearing the man's boisterous laugh made Gilbert turn to them. He must have recognized one of them, for he strode over to Matthias' shop right away.

"You work for Mr. Zwingli, don't you?" He asked bluntly, pointing to Emil.

Emil balked at the question and shared a glance with his cousin. "Er, yes. Yes, Sir, I do."

"Right. Maybe you can help me." He folded his arms. "I'm looking for a fellow named Dániel Hédervary. I'm sure you know him. He worked for the Edelsteins."

Matthias' eyebrows rose up again, glancing at Emil. The two men waited for Emil's answer, who in turn, took a deep breath.

"Well... I might have seen him ride through here.." he answered hesitatingly.

Matthias frowned in thought. "Was he that Hungarian fellow you told me about?"

The young man sighed and nodded. "Yeah.. but.."

"Where is he now?" Gilbert pressed. "This is very important."

Matthias rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he went to the inn nearby. The one at the docks.."

Gilbert nodded and set some coins on the barrel. "Thank you, boys." He quickly left after that, hopping back onto his horse.

Matthias sighed and shook his head, glancing at Emil. "Should I even bother to ask what that was about?"

Emil, in turn, just frowned. "No.. I just wish we didn't say anything." He turned and went back inside. The few coins Gilbert had given remained untouched on the barrel.

**.....**

Maria jumped from her nap when she heard a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" She called.

"Housekeeping, miss," a female voice answered. "I was just going to take your tray if you're done.."

Maria sighed and got up to open the door.

She nearly froze when she saw her brother behind it, and didn't notice the maid quickly heading back downstairs. Before she could slam the door, he planted a firm hand on it and pushed himself into her room. She began backing away, though there was nowhere to go.

"Maria."

"I'm not leaving!" She hissed, her body tense. "You'll have to drag me out, kicking and screaming. I'll not go without a fight."

Gilbert sighed and just looked at her.

"You know Father sent me here to bring you back.."

"Well you've wasted your time! I'm not going back! I'm going to America with Dániel. We're going to be married and we're going to start a new life together."

Gilbert just stood there and watched his little sister. Maria had always been a wild one; the constrictions of society never could hold her back. He had admired that about her, and after the death of Louise...

He bowed his head, running his fingers through his hair. He liked Dániel, the two of them had been good friends. He knew how Maria felt for him too. Then he thought about the way his father had treated both her and Louise, bartering them off to the finest bidder, as if they were horses and not his own flesh and blood.

"Do you hear me, Gilbert? I'd sooner die first!" Maria carried on.

He frowned more. He'd never liked the way his father had treated either of his sisters, ever since they were children. He hadn't even seemed bothered when Louise died. It just seemed like another investment lost and instead of confronting Louise's husband, demanding answers to what really happened, he did nothing. He just sat back and forbad anyone to speak of Louise, as if her death had been a disappointment and not a tragedy. He wouldn't even listen to Maria's side of things, that something sinister had happened to his daughter. No, he ruled it off as a suicide like everyone else, even though she had never shown any suicidal traits before.

He said Louise had shamed them and that she was no longer his daughter. His words had shocked Gilbert and he began to wonder... Did the man ever care about Louise, or Maria for that matter?

He set his jaw and glanced back up at his sister. He knew he was probably failing in his duty as a son, but he figured his father deserved this for the way he'd dealt with his own daughter's death.

"How much would you like?" He suddenly asked.

She paused in her tirade and blinked. "What?"

"You'll need quite a bit of money to start a new life as a married couple. How much can I give you?"

She gaped. "You'll... really?" She whispered.

He smiled a little. "It'll be the only thing you'll get. Once you set sail, your dowry is out of the question. So tell me," he pulled his billfold out of his coat pocket. "How much money do you want? I only have.." he counted the full amount he had on his person.

"I can't take money from you.." she whispered, tears pooling at her eyes. "And..what will Father say when he finds out..?"

Gilbert just smiled and reached out to hug her. "Hey, it's the least I can do. I just stood by and watched as he threatened you.. And after Louise..." He sighed, feeling his throat tighten.

Maria's eyes softened and she hugged him back, burying her face in her brother's chest.

"Gil..."

The man cleared his throat and pulled away, straightening his back.

"Don't worry about Father, all right? He won't find out about this. I'll just tell him you left before I could get to you."

Maria tried not to cry. "Gilbert.. I'm sorry.."

"Don't be." He urged. "I just want to see that you're happy, and if that means living in America with Dániel.. Then it's all right." He kissed her cheek.

"I know he'll take care of you."

She let out a watery laugh and smiled, hugging her brother again. He gave her what money he could and they said goodbye, knowing they probably wouldn't see each other again.

"Tell Dániel I said I'm sorry for how I treated him those months ago," Gilbert said before he left the inn. "And that if he mistreats you and I hear of it, I'll sail to America myself to find him." He gave her a cheeky grin.

Maria laughed and nodded. "I will. And thank you.."

He stared at her for a little longer before taking a deep breath and nodding. Then he turned his back on her and proceeded to head home.

A little while afterwards, Dániel would return to tell her their place on the next ship to America was settled. They would set sail just thirty minutes later. Gilbert would arrive home to tell his parents that Maria was gone a few hours after that, much to their father's displeasure. Gilbert wasn't worried about himself though. As the heir to the estate, he knew his father wouldn't lay a finger on him. Besides, they believed him when he said he did all that he could...

The shocking news about Maria running off with a servant didn't take long to spread around. Rumors abounded and people stared at her family in shock and pity. It was without a doubt that the girl's reputation was ruined, especially since she had forsaken her solemn vows of chastity. She was the talk of the town and even the city, between servants and nobles alike, even reaching to the barracks where Ludwig was serving. No doubt it was a tale that would not be forgotten quickly.


	10. Changes

A couple of months had passed, and the news of the young nun Maria Beillschmidt running off with hired hand Dániel Hédervary was still a hot topic. Word had spread fast, just as her family had feared it would, despite their attempts to keep the scandal a secret. It was just too good of a tale to keep hidden for long from the gossip mongers.

One could easily trace the original source of the gossip: the Edelstein house. After Elizaveta found the letter Dániel had left for her, one of the maids had witnessed her emotional distress over its contents. Curiosity had gotten the better of the girl and she snatched it up while Elizaveta was away from her room. No one in the household had any real attachment to the Beillschmidt girl or her family, and Dániel had never shown any particular attention to any of the maids either, so they were eager to spread the news concerning the two runaway lovers. As a result, the story spread like wildfire not just around the house, but throughout the town, especially when word got out that the nuns found Maria missing from their convent.

Soon, the Beillschmidt family found themselves in an upheaval of scandal and outrage. Ludwig, after hearing the news, was even called away to go on leave for his mother's sake.

"I suppose your family is taking this badly?" Feliciano guessed. The two had run into each other in town. Feliciano had been sent on an errand and Ludwig had been asked to go buy something for his mother, and the Italian couldn't help but ask how Ludwig and his family were doing during all of this.

The soldier sighed, running his hand through his hair, making it look slightly disheveled.

"Very badly." He acquiesced. "My father is practically in a state of denial. He won't even acknowledge a mere mention of Maria's name and my mother has fallen into a sort of depression. She cries a lot over the loss of her daughter and the actions she took." He sighed and shook his head. "Needless to say, Maria's disowned now..."

"I see..." Feliciano murmured. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"They'll be leaving the country shortly; traveling abroad." Ludwig continued. "I believe my mother said they'll be visiting family in Germany."

Feliciano nodded and rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose that's best."

"It's the only option they have, really, to get away from all these gossip mongers," Ludwig replied, frowning slightly.

"So..." Feliciano spoke up after a minute, a little hesitatingly. "How are you and Gilbert handling all of this?"

Ludwig shrugged in response. "I mean, I don't hate my sister. If she ever needs help, I won't turn her away, even when my parents do." He stopped talking and looked up at the sky, as if pondering over where Maria could be at this moment.

"I'm not sure what Gilbert thinks of her now," he said after an awkward pause.

Feliciano nodded again. "Well, I know Elizaveta is really upset. She won't talk about it at all and was close to beating the maids when she found out they read her letter Dániel left her."

He could remember seeing Elizaveta - while sneaking into the kitchen to grab a snack -  angrily tearing up the letter and throwing it into the kitchen fire.

_That idiot!_ He had heard her hiss. _I hope I never see his face again!_

Feliciano sighed as Ludwig nodded understandingly. "It seems everyone is either shocked or angered by what has occurred." He remarked. "And it would probably be best to keep quiet about this matter for now."

"Yes, I know. I'm a bit upset myself," Feliciano replied. "Now that Dániel is gone, I've been 'promoted'," he held his hands up to make invisible quotation marks, "to help maintain the grounds."

Ludwig couldn't help but amusedly smile at the disgusted look on his friend's face. "What? You don't like being outside?"

He frowned. "Indoor work was hard enough. Now I have to be slaving under the hot sun, pulling weeds, cleaning out the stalls..."

"Ah, I see." Ludwig chuckled. "Well, why don't you try to seek other employment if it is so disagreeable to you?" He suggested as they walked down the street.

"You could always join the militia. I'm sure my commanding officer would be able to find a place for you in our regiment."

Feliciano inwardly balked at that option. Being in the army was the last thing he wanted. It scared him. Even so, he did appreciate his friend's thoughtfulness.

"Well, I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm just complaining. Besides, the Edelsteins are kind employers and I wouldn't want to leave them just now, when they lost another worker so suddenly. Not to mention, Elizaveta is a good friend and I wouldn't want to worry her," he explained, and while these were all genuine reasons, the main one was that if he joined the militia he would be far away from the Edelstein house. The Edelsteins, after all, were the closest neighbors to the Zwinglis - to Elise. He couldn't imagine living any further away from her than he already did.

"Well, it was just a suggestion," Ludwig replied, patting Feliciano on his shoulder. He then walked over to his horse and put his package in the saddle bag.

"I hate to cut this conversation short, but I must head back." He told Feliciano. The two shared smiles and shook hands.

"Good to see you again!" Feliciano said brightly. He watched as Ludwig got on the horse and rode off before he proceeded to finish his errand.

When he arrived back at the big house, he stopped by the kitchen with the parcel he was sent to bring back.

"Oh, you're back," Elizaveta remarked when she saw him. She was sitting down, mending what looked like a shawl that probably belonged to Anneliese Edelstein.

"Hello." He smiled at her and put the parcel on the large, long table that stretched out along the kitchen floor. He sighed.

"I guess I had better get to work."

Elizaveta sympathetically smiled. "I know you don't like working outside," she smiled more at his downcast expression, "but now that autumn has finally arrived, it won't be so hot out, right?"

_No. It'll be colder,_ he thought bleakly. He kept that to himself though. Instead, he worked up a smile.

"Right. Well, I guess I should see to the stables first." He then changed his shoes before exiting out via the back door.

"Oh! Feli, before you go, a letter arrived for you."

His ears perked up at that and he quickly looked over to see Elizaveta walking up to him, pulling out a letter from her apron pocket.

She was mildly surprised to see the young man's face light up with excitement as he took the letter.

"Thank you, Elizaveta!" He grinned.

"You're welcome." She eyed him curiously as he stuffed the letter in his own pocket. "It's from that girl, isn't it?" She guessed.

Feliciano froze. "What...?"

"That girl you told me about." She smiled knowingly. "You know, the lady you said you couldn't be in love with?"

Feliciano repressed a sigh of relief and slowly nodded, sheepishly smiling. "Right. Yes, it's from her."

She amusedly shook her head. "At least you get to write to her!" She tried to console him.

"Yes, that's true." He looked away, still smiling.

"Well, you'd better get to work," Elizaveta said gently, patting his back. She figured his was thinking about this mysterious girl and perhaps about how they could only write to each other.

He nodded and went out back to tend to the stables and help with caring for the grounds.

**... .... ...**

A little over an hour later, Feliciano was hiding up in the stable's loft, buried among the hay and straw. He munched on a light snack of bread and cheese and with a deep breath, retrieved the long-awaited letter from his trousers pocket. As he hoped, the letter was from _her._

_My dear friend,_ it read,

                              _I have indeed heard of what has happened between Miss Beillschmidt and the man who worked at the Edelstein's house. You said he was the brother of the housekeeper? She must be  very upset and I feel for her, especially since he was the only family you said she had._

_And yet, you've told me that the two had been in love with each other. I can't help but also feel sorry for them as well, since they felt that running away was their only option to be together. I don't know what I would do if I was in their place. Could I leave my brother behind like they did? I cannot say. What about you?_

_Now that I think about it, something else has come  to mind. I've never asked you about your family! I've told you about mine, but I didn't think to ask you about yours, and I am sorry about that, as I am quite curious to know more about you. I hope you will tell me in your next letter, if you are comfortable with doing so._

_You asked me in your last letter how I am  feeling lately. Thank you for your concern. It really makes me happy to know you're worried. I am doing better now, though I always feel under the weather when the seasons change. It's just something I've grown accustomed to, so don't let it trouble you too much. I'm sure it won't last for long._

_Perhaps we can meet up again when Spring comes. My brother doesn't really like me traveling much in the autumn and winter due to my health, so I won't be going many places in these next few months. As such, I will look forward to your letters and what you have to tell me as I stay cooped up in the house. So, until your next letter, I will remain,_

_Ever yours,_

_Elise Zwingli_

Feliciano read the letter a couple of times, almost memorizing her words and trying to picture her small white hands elegantly gliding the quill over the paper. Perhaps she was smiling as she wrote to him. He would like to think so.

He had to go back to work so he kissed the letter gently before putting it back in his pocket. He was determined to write up another letter to her before going to bed that night.

**... .... ...**

The days grew shorter and the nights grew longer. As she told Feliciano in her letter, Elise did not go out beyond the grounds of their house as the weather changed. She had even caught a small cold which kept her inside longer. Emil was usually the one on the bad end of things, being the person Elise usually took her frustrations out on. He didn't mind, though, knowing she didn't mean any of the harsh words she said. She even apologized on several occasions.

"I'm such a horrid person, Emil!" She exclaimed reproachfully. "I don't mean to sound so hateful."

He shook his head, smiling. "I know it must be extremely frustrating to stay inside so much." He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Would you feel up to walking around through the garden? Just for a moment or two; I'm sure a bit of fresh air - just a little - wouldn't be harmful."

Her face brightened up considerably. "I would love that. Let me just dress up a little!"

Emil smiled and nodded. "I'll be waiting right outside the door."

Once he had exited her room, Elise pushed her quilt aside and rose up from her chair. Emil had thoughtfully asked the ladies' maid to come help her get dressed. Once she was ready with a warm dress on, she slipped on a pair of boots and wrapped a shawl around her shoulders, over her coat.

"I'm ready!" She said brightly. She beamed at Emil.

"Excellent. Do you have gloves?" He queried, looking concerned.

She giggled. "Yes, and I brought my shawl so I could cover my head." She had a feeling he would ask that next.

He actually blushed a little and sheepishly smiled. "Ah...Good. That way you won't catch cold as easily."

The two went downstairs and out to the gardens. Elise immediately began to smile at the sight of the many colors of autumn on the trees and the ground. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, her breath forming a small cloud in the air.

"Oh, this feels nice. It was getting so stuffy in that house!" She good naturedly complained.

Emil could agree with her. "Yes, being kept inside for so long would drive you mad sooner or later."

She could hear a slight hint of amusement in his voice and it made her smile.

"Very true!" She agreed. "That must have been the reason why I've been so moody of late."

Emil smiled more and gallantly offered her his arm as they walked. They both remained quiet as they admired the falling leaves and the clear autumn sky. After a few minutes, Elise told him she was feeling much better and was ready to go back inside. She was getting hungry anyways. As they headed for the garden door, one of the maids appeared from inside.

"Oh, there you are, Miss!" She exclaimed brightly.

Elise smiled sweetly. "What is it? Has my brother returned?"

"No, Miss. But you've received another letter!" The lady told her - a little excitedly, it seemed. Emil noticed Elise's cheeks reddened a little and her face lit up.

"Oh! Thank you, Mary!" The young lady was very excited as she held her hand out to take the letter.

All the servants knew Elise had been passing letters back and forth with an unknown correspondent. The ladies all whispered that she had a secret admirer.

Emil heard all the rumors and whisperings. He tried not to pay much attention to them, but he couldn't deny the pleased expression on her face. On many occasions, he had been tempted to tell Basch about the letters, but he had a feeling Basch might take measures to stop the correspondence, so he kept silent. He knew Elise would probably be upset if she was forced to stop writing this person.

_Plus, admit it,_ he thought, _you don't like this because you don't like the idea of Elise being involved with someone else._

He sighed a little to himself as Elise quickly went for the door, letter in hand.

"I'm going in," she told him. "Thank you for walking with me!"

"Ah. You're welcome," he murmured, smiling weakly.

Elise was too distracted by her letter to notice his demeanor. She bounded inside and up to her room, basically throwing off her shawl and coat onto the chair. She plopped down onto the bed and quickly broke the seal to read the contents. Just as she hoped, it was a letter from _him._

               _My dearest lady,_

_I apologize that I haven't sent a letter for a while. Unfortunately, now that we have one less worker in the Edelstein house, I have been forced to work outside on the grounds which leaves me quite tired many nights. It's not much of an excuse, I know, but that is why I have only responded to your letter now. But we have talked about these matters enough, so I am going to change the subject!_

_You asked me about my family. I would be more than happy to tell you about them, though there is nothing that interesting to tell. My parents died when I was quite young, leaving me and my older sister, Katarina, in the care of our grandfather. He is a very handsome, kind, and strong man whom everybody loves. I think you would like him. He is a wine merchant and owns many acres of land in Tuscany where he cares for a large vineyard. That is where I grew up and even though my sister is the oldest, I was the one who was supposed to inherit the vineyards and take over the wine business._

_Well, Elise, I'm going to be honest with you and admit something. While I love drinking wine, working to make it was never a passion for me. I've always loved painting and would rather live a penniless life as an artist instead of living the comfortable life of a wine merchant. But grandfather was so set on me taking over his role after he died, that I didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't what I wanted to do._

_Instead, I packed my things and told both him and my sister that I wanted to travel before I settled down. They were surprised and thought I'd be too scared to do it (I had loved a sheltered life before hand), but I was determined to try to find a different life for myself to avoid the life I was to inherit. I'll spare you the painful and embarrassing details and just tell you that things started to fall apart quickly. I traveled for a while but I soon found myself out of money and looking for work. I should have tried to find a way home, but without money, I had no way of getting on a ship without doing something illegal and I didn't want to do that._

_So, here I am now. All of that which I explained to you above happened a little over three years ago. I do plan on trying to anonymously sell my paintings in the near future. Hopefully that means I could possibly leave this life of servitude, but I have to admit, the idea seems less appealing now since I've realized my employers live near the home of a certain lovely young lady._

_I do hope you feel better and won't fall ill again. I wish I could come to your home so I could fix you some hot soup and maybe paint you a small picture to make you feel better. I look forward to the springtime when we can meet again. Until then, I am still,_

_Your faithful servant,_

_Feliciano Vargas_

Elise sighed happily at the letter. She fell back on her bed, the paper pressed to her chest, and she stared blankly up at the ceiling. Her mind was light-years away. She was pleased to know more about him, especially when it concerned his family. He seemed rather embarrassed of his actions in his letter, but she didn't blame him for what was basically running away from a future that was chosen for him.

_It's rather similar to having your spouse chosen for you,_ she thought, so in a certain way, she could relate. She knew that sooner or later, Basch would have to do the same for her. After all, that was the proper way to deal with sisters and daughters, she thought ruefully.

Her thoughts returned to Feliciano again at that moment. She wondered if he ever thought about getting married, or even if he wanted to. Pondering all of this made her curious and a blush began to dust her cheeks. For a moment she even wondered what being _married_ to him would be like!

_You can't think things like that!_ She told herself, rubbing her cheeks. _Basch would never allow it._

Little did she know, but her suppositions were quite founded. While Elise stayed at home, recovering, her brother was hard at work, not only visiting friends at the barracks, but calling on several acquaintances to talk about future connections. He didn't want to, but securing the future of his little sister was very important to him. He wanted to know she would want for nothing, especially if anything sudden or unexpected occurred.

Of course, being the bachelor he was, he had no idea how to go about accomplishing that. Therefore, his only option was to seek the advice of someone more knowledgeable about society. He figured Miss Edelstein was a good place to start.

**... .... ...**

"Mr. Zwingli! To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Anneliese said charmingly.

Basch gallantly bowed his head slightly in a returned greeting. "I seek advice from someone."

The lady looked surprised and quite curious. "Advice? Not from my brother, surely!" She laughed a little.

He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed. "No. From you. You seem well aware in what is proper and decent in society."

Anneliese seemed to be pleased and ushered him to go and sit with her in the parlor. Once they were both settled, Basch began to speak again.

"I seek advice about what to do for my sister."

Anneliese now understood. She sagely nodded and merely uttered, "Ah..." in response.

"I just want to secure her safety and happiness. I am hardly around during the day and sometimes I am gone for days on end due to my position. She is so young, I don't want her to be ostracized. She needs music and dancing and..." he paused, looking uncomfortable, "...friends."

The lady smiled kindly.

"You want her to meet a young man, don't you?"

"An _honorable_ young man," he stressed. "A gentleman; someone who will both love and care for her."

"In other words, Mr. Zwingli, you want her to move about in society more?"

He sighed, rather exasperated. "I suppose that's the way to put it, though I wish 'society' didn't have to be partnered with meeting suitable matches."

Anneliese patted his arm. "My good sir, society is not all bad, if you know the right people, and if you want to entrust your sister into my care, I can assure you, she will be well-taken care of."

Basch was quiet for a few minutes. He then stood up and strode over to the window that looked out to the east side of the grounds. It wasn't the view of the gardens though.

"Would you look after her health too?" He murmured.

"Certainly!" Anneliese exclaimed. "I know her constitution is delicate on occasion. I will make sure we do not go to places where the rooms are small and crowded."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, falling quiet again for one more minute or two. Anneliese just watched him until he finally spoke again.

"Then, I will entrust her into your care when I'm not here. I also entrust her social status to you as well." He turned to face her with quite a serious countenance.

"I swear to you, Elise will be in good hands," she responded firmly.

"I am relieved to hear it," he admitted. He truly did look relieved too.

"I was actually planning to go up to the city in a couple of weeks," she remarked. "It is getting chillier and I like being where all the hustle and bustle is during the winter. The country is quite dull this time of year, when all you can do is stay inside." She gave Basch a winning smile. "I could take Elise with me then, if you don't mind her being away for the winter."

Now, to say that Basch wasn't startled by this request would be untrue, but he did his best not to show it. Even so, deep down, it worried him a little to think of his younger sister moving about the city in the cold weather without him around to watch over her. He could just imagine what might happen.

_Still, Anneliese knows of her delicate constitution,_ he reminded himself. _If anything happens, she could probably handle it._

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This would be good for Elise, he reasoned with himself. She would meet new people and wouldn't be stuck in the house. Her health had improved over the last few years, since they had moved to the country, so he could only hope she would be fine in the city during the winter.

"Now the only thing left is to tell her," he muttered to himself as he made his way home. "Elise might be a little hesitant about the idea, but if I discuss this with her, she'll surely see reason."

The lady in question was up in her room reading when he approached her door and knocked.

"Come in," Elise called.

Basch entered and saw her relaxing in her chair. She looked up from her book and gave him a smile.

"Oh, Basch! Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine," he assured her. He awkwardly stopped talking and rubbed the back of his neck. "Could I talk to you about something?"

She blinked. "Certainly!" She lowered her book onto her lap.

"Good. It, well, has to do with you. I know.." he hesitated, trying to figure out what to say. "I know you dislike staying indoors for the winter months."

She looked surprised. "Well, yes."

He nodded. "And I know I've been concerned about your health, but I've been talking to Miss Edelstein."

"Really? Miss Edelstein?" Elise smiled more. "Are you fond of the lady, Basch?"

He frowned a little, trying not to seem embarrassed. "This isn't about me," he muttered after clearing his throat. "I was talking to her because I was thinking about sending you to the city with her this winter." He confessed.

Now Elise looked really surprised. "The city?" She exclaimed.

"Yes. After all, you hardly get to see or talk to anybody when you're cooped up in here during the winter," he put his hand on her head, " and I know you get lonely."

"I-I don't mind it, really," she tried to argue. "I get sick often anyways."

"Perhaps so, but last winter, you seemed to fare better," he remarked.

She blinked and smiled again, amusedly. "What's changed?" She wondered. "Usually, I'm the one who doesn't worry much about my health. Now you want me to go into town and meet people? What's bothering you?"

He sighed. It would figure that she would read him so well. "I just think it's time you started meeting more people, and if that includes potential suitors, than that's good too."

"So that's it." She looked down at her book. "Well, if you think I'll be all right..." she murmured.

He smiled now. "I knew you'd understand. This will be good for you, Elise, and Miss Edelstein will look after you. She assured me she would keep an eye on you and she's also aware of your health." He caressed her hair. "You'll have a splendid time."

Elise smiled and said she figured she would too. Even so, deep down, she worried about something: meeting men. She knew both her brother and Miss Edelstein would be thinking of looking for young men that could be potential husbands for her, and since she was going to the city, she knew Miss Edelstein would definitely introduce her to several men, young and old.

As Basch left her room, looking relieved and pleased, Elise just remained in her chair, secretly fretting about what was to come. It would be hard to replace the feelings she was experiencing toward a certain young Italian man - and she wasn't sure she wanted to replace them either. She didn't want to search for a "suitable husband."

**... .... ...**

It was the night before Anneliese Edelstein would pack Elise up and take her to the city. Miss Edelstein had talked of little else after she received a letter of confirmation that the young lady would be going with her. Elise, on the other hand, was a bit pensive about the entire thing.

She sat down at her desk and sighed. What was she to do? Ever since the early autumn season, she and Feliciano had been exchanging letters and now that she was going away, would their correspondence have to stop? She hoped not. She feared, too, that her being in the city would deter him from writing to her, considering the reason why she was going there to begin with.

She took a deep breath and let it out decidedly. "There's only one way to find out." She whispered, and picked up her pen.

**... .... ...**

"Looks like you've got another letter, boy!" One of the serving men grinned as Feliciano was handed a letter. It was early morning at the Edelstein manor, and most of the hired help were seated around the kitchen table finishing breakfast. The post had arrived and they were passing around their letters.

Feliciano tried to ignore the grins and nudges the others gave him. It had become a daily event to see if he would receive yet another letter from his mysterious lady friend. The result was endless teasing every time he got one.

"Another letter? You really will break my heart with all these letters and flirting with girls, Feli!" One of the maids teased.

"Leave him alone, why don't you?" Elizaveta rushed to his defense when she saw he looked quite embarrassed. She frowned a little.

Instead of feeling ashamed, the others merely chuckled. Several began to get up and go about their normal duties. Feliciano was one of them, getting ready to start working outside with many of the other men. But working was the last thing he wanted to do; he was itching to read his new letter instead. Of course, after about an hour or so, he decided to take his own designated break and sneaked off to the barn, where he holed up in the loft with a light snack.

Now cuddled in the hay, he took the letter and eagerly tore it open. He was excited to finally read it. The letter wasn't very long, but he didn't mind that.

_Dear Feliciano,_

_I am happy I received your last letter. I don't grow tired of hearing about your home town, despite your seeming reluctance to keep writing of it. You said you were afraid that I would soon be bored of reading about it, but you must remember that I have never traveled. Any description of a new place interests me, therefore keep telling me about Tuscany. I enjoy your accounts immensely, especially because I feel like I know you more when you do._

_I'm afraid I must keep this letter short. A new series of events has unfolded before me and I now find myself about to leave for the city. Apparently, my brother wants me to move about in the world more and to meet new people. So, it's off to the city I go. I fear this might stunt our correspondence, but if you still want to write to me, you can send your letters to the address enclosed in this letter. I do hope we can still write to one another. Please don't feel that just because I've left town, that means I don't want to hear from you. I still want full accounts of what mishaps the maids fall into, or what talk goes around the town._

_Hopefully I will receive a reply from you soon! Until then, I remain,_

_Ever Yours,_

_Elise Zwingli_

Feliciano sighed. So it was true. It had been talked of that Miss Edelstein was taking someone with her into the city this winter. He thought he'd heard it was to be Elise, but he hadn't been sure if he was hearing correctly. Now it was certain, however: Elise would be gone for a good four months. He hoped she would be all right. He knew from her letters that she often grew sick when it was colder out. Would she do well in the city? He couldn't help but worry about the whole thing.

He glanced over the letter again. She had mentioned she worried that they wouldn't be able to write to one another. He supposed that she would be busy, meeting new people, even other men. That was probably the main reason why her brother wanted to her to go the city, he figured. A small frown appeared on his face. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy over whatever man would meet Elise. He wouldn't be there to distract and charm her. What if she fell in love with someone in the city?

"The only thing to do is to keep writing to her," he muttered. "I might still be in her thoughts if I do."

He perused the letter for the address she had written down for him. His face was set determinedly. She wanted him to write to her and he didn't want to give her up to another man (even if it was out of his place to think that way), so he would write to her. A cheeky smile spread over his face then. Perhaps he was being reckless and foolish to pursue her, but he didn't care.


	11. Winter

The waves were rough as they crashed against the snowy shoreline - a sure sign that another storm was on its way. Even so, the men of the docks were keeping warm in the old and beloved inn. While the wintry night grew colder, everyone huddled together at the inn's bar, sipping hot grog and slurping down delicious stew as a big fire blazed in the midst of the room.

If one took a moment to look around the tavern, it would not be long before one would spot a decent sized group of men huddled around a round table. And it would not be long before one would begin to wonder if these men were up to something; devising some sort of plot or mischief. It reality, that wasn't too far from the truth.

Emil Steilssen was among this crowd. He and a couple of fellow servants had dubbed this tavern their headquarters for their meetings. Rumors had abounded about the servants forming a union against  their masters, and they wanted to make that a reality.

"f we're going to do this, we need a place for a larger gathering," one of them spoke. "We cannot meet here for much longer. The innkeeper doesn't like mischief or riots."

"True. Besides, we need a wider space. We intend to rally a large group of followers," another interjected.

Emil glanced over at the men everyone was speaking to: three individuals who sat with their backs to the fireplace. These were the men who had sparked the fire of rebellion in all the servants' hearts. They were also the ones who were responsible for holding meetings in the tavern on many weekends.

No one could pinpoint for certain which one of the three had concocted this plan, but everyone could say for certain that the real brains behind the trio's schemes was the young man in the middle. He was a pale, gangly fellow wearing spectacles with straight hair the color of hay that fell just above his eyebrows. He was the boldest of the three, the other two being quieter than he. The man on his left just serenely watched everyone around him, his green eyes not betraying an inkling of what could be on his mind. The other young man on the right seemed agitated and high strung, as he continued wringing his hands nervously. It was hard to see his bright blue eyes behind his honey colored curls.

The three were quite mysterious fellows, there was no doubt. Emil had heard from many that they served in the home of a Russian count, and that their master could be quite harsh, cruel even. If those rumors were true, it was no wonder these men had wanted to rebel and defy their employer.

As everyone argued and debated on, the spectacled fellow cleared his throat, pushing those lenses high up on the bridge of his nose. "Well then, it's decided that we can no longer meet here. I agree with many of you: our gathering at this inn attracts too much attention. So, does anyone have any suggestions?"

A couple of men offered some places for meetings, but  none seemed to appeal to everyone. After a few minutes of listening, Emil spoke up.

"There's always behind Matthias's fish shack..." he murmured.

The others paused and stared at him. Suddenly, the quiet compatriot beside their leader smiled.

"That would be an ideal spot," he remarked. His green eyes scrutinized Emil curiously.

"I agree with Toris. It wouldn't be as busy as it is here," another man added.

"Would Matthias mind, you think?" Asked the leader, warming up to the idea more since his friend seemed to approve of it.

"I can ask him," was Emil's answer.

"All right. Do so, then, and let us know what he says as soon as possible."

"Very well, Eduard," Emil acquiesced, nodding his head. Their leader, Eduard, gave him a pleased smile and stood with his two partners. The meeting seemed to be adjourned, and many stood up to go as well. Several of the men patted Emil's back in encouragement, glad he had spoken up.

It was getting late, so after finishing his drink, Emil made his way home. Matthias was still up, looking over his accounting book when Emil entered the small house. The fisherman noticed him soon enough and cocked an eyebrow in his direction.

"And where have you been? Hurry on in here, it's gettin' colder as we speak!" He exclaimed.

Emil did quickly close the door behind him and stomped his boots out on the ragged, dingy mat before removing them. He then joined Matthias by the fire.

"I was at the inn, meeting with some people," was his short reply.

"Oh, I see."

He nodded. "Yes. We were talking about the strike."

Matthias hummed thoughtfully as he puffed smoke rings from his pipe. "So," he said after a quiet moment, "you boys really plan to go against the nobles, huh?"

"Yes. There are men who are forming a committee and everything. The only setback is finding a meeting place."

Emil held his hands out to the fire so he could warm them. Then he turned to his cousin.

"Matthias, do you think we could hold meetings out back here?"

The fisherman looked a bit surprised at the request. He took a long drag from his pipe before uttering anything.

"You want to hold meetings behind **my** shop? With the smell an' all?" He grinned amusedly. "Did the others like your idea?"

"They were all for it, in fact, and wanted me to ask you what you thought of the idea." Emil replied, looking quite unaffected by the whole prospect of several men crammed together behind the small fish shack.

"I see..." Matthias murmured slowly.

Emil watched his cousin as  the man pondered what he had asked of him. Just as Emil began to fear that Matthias was going to end up denying his request, Matthias spoke again.

"I suppose it won't be a problem - on one condition."

Emil tried not to look excited. "Which is?"

He grinned. "They have to buy all their fish from me." Matthias winked.

Emil amusedly shook his head. "I'm sure that won't be a problem."

**... .... ...**

As plans began brewing behind Matthias Kohler's fish shack through the cold winter months, Elise found herself being swept away by the many winter parties and gatherings she went to in the city. Anneliese Edelstein had graciously offered to buy her new dresses that would be fitting for such events. The lady had good-naturedly informed Elise that what she owned was just _slightly_ out of fashion, which meant a whole new wardrobe, and while Elise was grateful for so much attention and pretty new things, she honestly hadn't cared about fashion either way. She just listened to Anneliese and went along with her, just to amuse her.

Elise hadn't cared too much for all the parties she'd gone to, either. While Anneliese sometimes introduced her to interesting people, most of the time they were older and somewhat dull. She was beginning to miss home. Even so, she assured her brother in her letters to him that she was enjoying herself with exploring the city's shops and restaurants. She also assured him of her well-being.

 _Miss Edelstein is very kind and knows how to keep me preoccupied,_ she told Basch in a letter, _and on days when I am not feeling well, she is very attentive._

It was true. Anneliese was understanding and listened to Elise when she wasn't feeling her best. Those days, Anneliese assured her that it was perfectly fine to stay curled up on the sofa with a warm cup of tea until she felt better.

"I'll bring you something lovely back!" The good lady said to her one chilly afternoon, before she stepped out to go visit some friends. "I do hope your headache is gone by tomorrow, though. There's a big party tomorrow night!" Anneliese gave Elise a sweet smile and waved goodbye before stepping out.

Elise just wanly smiled as she watched her leave. She then slid her eyes shut and tried to rest despite her throbbing head. The nearby fire helped keep her warm, but she pulled the warm quilt up closer to her chest. She would just shut her eyes for a couple of minutes, she told herself. Maybe that would help the headache go away...

Before she realized it, she found herself being startled awake from a nap by someone lightly rapping on the drawing room door. She blinked and smoothed some strands of hair back from her face, sitting up higher on the sofa.

"Come in?" She called, curious who it might be as she situated the quilt around her legs. One of the maids slowly opened the door.

"Beggin' your pardon, Miss. There is a Sergeant Beilschmidt come to see Miss Edelstein. Should I tell him to call back later? I hate to keep him waiting, it's getting frightful cold out there..." she hesitated.

Elise was surprised at this news. She had only met the Beilschmidt sons once or twice, but she was well aware that they were the cousins of Roderich and Anneliese. She also knew that Anneliese was most fond of the younger son, Ludwig, who was a sergeant. It couldn't hurt to entertain him for a while as he waited for Anneliese to come back. Plus, her headache was nearly gone now.

"By all means, let him in! We don't want him freezing on the doorstep!" She agreed with the maid, urging her to let the man inside quickly.

A couple of seconds later, in strode Ludwig Beilschmidt. From her spot on the sofa, the man towered over her. His nose and cheeks were slightly pink, obviously from being outside in the cold. He did look a little chilled as he rubbed his hands, yet his bright blond hair remained perfectly slicked back on his head.

The man politely nodded his head in her direction and began to apologize. "Forgive me. I hadn't realized that Miss Edelstein was out. I don't mean to disturb you. If you want me to go -"

"No, no that's all right," Elise interjected. "It is getting rather cold out. You should warm yourself here while you wait for your cousin. I don't mind at all."

"I do appreciate it," was his quiet reply. A small smile was on his face. He then pulled up a chair near the fire and seated himself.

The two looked at each other for a moment or two. Ludwig was wondering what the young lady might be thinking from the bemused expression on her face when he realized he was still sitting stiffly, as if on duty. He cleared his throat and bashfully smiled, relaxing his posture a little. Elise seemed to notice and an amused smile came over her face.

"Would you like some tea, Sergeant?" She queried.

"Certainly. Oh please, don't trouble yourself. I can ask for someone." Ludwig stopped her from getting up to summon the maid, and stood instead. He strode over to the door and asked the passing girl to fetch them some tea. Once his mission was complete, he sat back down. Elise could tell by his firm tone of voice that he was someone people were quick to obey and that he was also accustomed to being obeyed. She thanked him softly and he politely nodded in return.

"I had heard," he spoke up after another quiet minute, "that my cousin had a companion with her in the city this time."

She nodded as an affirmation. "It was a plot devised between her and my brother. I suppose he figured I would be bored at home throughout the winter," she explained amusedly.

"Well, I know my cousin. I'm sure she has kept you busy," he replied dryly.

Elise laughed a little. "It is true. I've been to more parties and gatherings in these past couple of weeks than I ever had when my brother and I first moved here."

"Well, I do hope my cousin lets you take a breath every now and then.." He dryly responded.

"Oh, rest assured," she replied, "if I'm tired or not feeling well, Anneliese makes sure that I take plenty of rest."

"That is good to hear."

The fellow spoke kindly to her, making Elise comfortable in his company, and she found she could talk openly to him as their conversation continued. "I would have gone out with her today, but she urged me to rest since I have a slight headache," she admitted.

His brow furrowed in mild concern. "Are you very ill?"

"Oh no," she shook her head slightly. "It's nothing to worry about. It will pass." She gave him an assuring smile.

Ludwig nodded. "I am glad to hear it."

The tea was brought it just then and the two sipped it in cordial silence. The warm liquid was soothing for Elise and its aroma helped ease the headache. She inhaled deeply and let out a breath slowly. When she opened her eyes after a moment, she noticed the young man watching her carefully. Was he that worried about her?

"I promise. I will feel better by tomorrow, I'm sure," she reiterated.

He looked sheepish when he realized he was fretting. "Ah, yes. Well. Forgive me. It's just that you remind me of..." He stopped quickly and his cheeks flushed. "Never mind." He muttered.

She blinked and then glanced down at her tea. She was admittedly a bit curious as to who she reminded him of. An awkward silence filled the air.

"I, ah, have seen your brother recently," he suddenly remarked.

"Oh!" She quickly glanced up again. "How is he?"

"He seems to be doing well." Ludwig set his tea aside on a nearby side table. "Quite busy with business, I suppose. He was in town a day ago or so."

"He was?" Elise frowned, a bit perplexed. Basch was in the city and hadn't come to see her? She hoped everything was all right. Perhaps Anneliese had seen him too?

"It was only a passing visit, it seemed," Ludwig quickly replied, as if trying to make an excuse for her brother. "I'm sure he wasn't in the city for very long."

"I see..." She was quiet for a minute and then worked up a smile for Ludwig. "You're probably right. Maybe he was tied up with business or something and was only in the city for a day." She said. That was probably it. She shouldn't worry, she told herself. Whatever her brother was doing, she was sure he was just looking out for the good of them both.

Ludwig nodded, yet he inwardly also thought it was a bit odd that someone as devoted to their younger sibling as Zwingli was wouldn't even stop by for an hour to see how Elise was doing.

He continued to study the young woman as she daintily sipped her tea. He didn't know her or her  brother very well, but had heard much about them, mostly from his cousins. The brother had worked his way up his military faction quickly, almost magically, though many said it was due to his military prowess. Many said he was a hard worker, and very skilled. It was told that his main motive was so that his young sister could live in a healthy environment, and as he looked at Miss Zwingli, he could understand the captain's motives. Elise Zwingli appeared to be an ordinary young, pretty woman, but if one looked closer, it wouldn't be hard to see that the blooming rose was very fragile. One nip of frost and the bloom would fade and wither. Also, one complaining of only a mere headache wouldn't look so pale, nor would their hands shake so, he decided.

He opened his mouth to say something, but just then the door opened and Anneliese stepped in, all rosy from the cold weather. It was then that Ludwig could see such a difference between the two young women. Compared to his vivacious cousin, Elise did look quite sickly, indeed.

"Ludwig! I did not know you were in the city!" Anneliese exclaimed, happy to see him.

He stood and went over to greet her. "We're in town for the winter. All the men are quite excited," he told her, smiling.

"I'm sure! Well, you must stay for supper, and tell us everything that you officers have been up to these past few months!"

Elise watched them from her seat on the couch and smiled. It was sweet to see how the two got along so well.

Ludwig did stay for supper, and he did tell both of them what he and his fellow officers had been up to. While he didn't think any of it was very spectacular, it seemed to amuse both of the ladies. He figured Elise would understand his stories better than his cousin, since the young lady's brother was a soldier as well. As the hours passed, he also found himself relieved  to see that she seemed to be feeling better as well. Her cheeks didn't seem as pale as before and her hands hadn't been shaking when they ate supper.

Anneliese jokingly demanded that they see him at the party the following evening, and he assured her that many of the officers would be there. The militia being in town was a welcomed thing, so many were invited to different parties and gatherings. Sure enough, when Elise found herself following Anneliese into a big ballroom surrounded by strangers and acquaintances, she did spot several uniforms.

Elise was also relieved to see that once Ludwig grabbed her attention, Anneliese didn't find it necessary to introduce her to different strange men.

"I would rather talk to someone I know, rather than having to try and amuse strangers," he admitted, smiling sheepishly.

Elise laughed softly. "I feel the same way," she replied. "Anneliese has gotten it in her head that I should meet a potential husband during my stay here," she told him. Though she had a feeling Miss Edelstein wasn't alone in this endeavor, but she didn't tell Ludwig that.

"Ah. That must be tiresome..." he muttered, thinking of his own younger sister. He frowned slightly.

"Indeed." Elise laughed again, not noticing the man's pensive attitude.

He took a deep breath and blinked, shaking off dark thoughts concerning his family's problems. "Well, I'm not much of a dancer," he hedged, looking at her, "but, would you be interested in joining me for a dance or two?" He inquired.

Elise was a little surprised but just smiled.

"Certainly."

**... .... ...**

A week or so later, Anneliese Edelstein bid her cousin goodbye before he left with the rest of his division. As she watched him go, she couldn't help but smile at what had transpired over the past several days. She had seen quite a bit of her young cousin. He somehow found a way to visit her and Elise despite his remarks that he'd been quite busy while in the city.

 _I couldn't help but notice how fond you seem to be of Elise,_ she told him before he left.

He had done his best not to react to her bait, but she had noticed a slight blush that tinged his cheeks.

 _She is a very kind young woman,_ was his short reply.

 _Oh, no doubt about it. I feel that is why a lot of people like her. So, should she expect to see more of you in the future?_ She hinted.

The soldier had just given her a look and stiffened his back.

_I must go, Anneliese._

_Of course. I'll give her your regards._ She teased, which he had not liked very much. She would swear that his face was a bright pink as he marched away.

"Soldiers are just so unbearable,"  she muttered amusedly. Both Ludwig and Basch were so reserved and shy. Really, the way they concealed their emotions was nigh insufferable.

 _Even so_... Anneliese glanced up the stairs, thinking of the young woman reading in her bed, and smiled more. She couldn't help but think that perhaps, just perhaps, a sweet and caring temperament such as Elise's might be just what the reserved, shy young soldier needed.

"And maybe someone as big and strong as Ludwig is would be good for her, as well," she muttered. She began to wonder what Basch would think of this.

Elise wasn't thinking about any of this as she relaxed in her room, however. The post had come this morning, and to her delight, she had received yet another letter. It wasn't from her brother, though. It was from Feliciano.

Despite being miles away for the time being, the young man had been quite diligent in his letters to her. The thought of his devotion made her heart beat faster. As she read over the letter's contents, concerning what was going on around the town and what he was up to, she wondered what she should put in her letter to him.

 _I guess I could tell him about all the people I've met,_ she thought. _He would probably be quite amused at the different kinds of people I've had to talk to._

She giggled to herself as she began writing her letter to him in return. She couldn't wait to tell him about everything and all the strange people she'd encountered, like the older lady with the big feathers in her hair, who insisted that her small dog be set a spot at the dinner table, or the man who got so drunk that his head had fallen into the punch bowl.

 _There was one lady who just would not stop fiddling with her fan,_ she wrote. _She had such a fierce look on her face when any young man she did not like approached her daughter, that one would think she was brandishing her fan like a soldier brandishes his sword for battle. She would jab people in the chest with it too, just like a soldier does with his sword._

It made her laugh to think of it, and she did hope that Feliciano would find it amusing as well. It was just so easy to write to him.

 _Christmas is approaching, and while I am enjoying myself here, I can't help but think of my brother and my friends back at home,_ she continued, _and you, of course, Feliciano. I do hope you have a Merry Christmas, even if you are away from home yourself._

She sighed a little, wondering if he would be lonely during the holiday. He had no family in this country; they were all in Italy, he told her. When she considered that, she was began to wish she had stayed home. At least she'd be with her brother for Christmas, and would be closer to Feliciano as well.

_Enclosed with this letter is a small package that I hope you will accept. It is an early Christmas present that I think you will enjoy. Take it and think of me. I shall return in the spring, but until then I remain, Ever Yours, Elise._

It was remarkably forward of her, but she knew Feliciano would understand. She couldn't help it, she did miss him. She picked up the small parcel and looked at it with a smile on her face. Inside were two new paintbrushes that she had found in one of the shops Anneliese had taken her to. An artist could always do with some new brushes, she figured, and maybe it would make him feel happier during the holiday.

With the letter and parcel intact in a sizable package, she gave it to one of the servants to have it mailed. With luck, Feliciano would receive it before Christmas. She then went downstairs to dinner, feeling a little more lighthearted now that she knew she would receive a responding letter from him in the weeks to come.


End file.
